^Ob^lGALSt^ 


3yua48 


u. 


y^. 


s:^  ' 


ty 


HENRY  S.  BURRAGE,  D.  D. 


'v'  'Of 

^OS/GAL  sei^j^ 

HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS 
IN  MAINE. 


By  henry  S.  BURRAGE,  D.  D. 


PORTLAND,  ME.: 

Marks  Printing  House,  Printers. 

1904. 


PR  B  face:. 


The  preparation  of  this  history  of  the  Baptists  in  Maine 
was  commenced  many  years  ago,  and  the  Maine  Baptist 
Missionary  Convention,  at  its  meeting  in  Bath,  Oct.  7, 
1891,  expressed  its  approval  of  the  undertaking ;  but  when 
the  task  was  only  about  half  completed  other  literary  labor 
claimed  the  attention  of  the  writer,  and  the  work  on  that 
account  was  suspended.  With  the  approach  of  the  centen- 
nial of  the  Convention,  it  was  suggested  that  the  cen- 
tennial year  would  be  a  fitting  one  for  the  publication  of 
such  a  work,  and  early  in  1903  the  writer  returned  to  his 
task,  and  has  now  carried  it  forward  to  completion. 

When  the  work  was  resumed,  the  scope  of  the  under- 
taking was  widened,  and  it  was  decided  to  add  a  com- 
panion volume.  The  secretary  of  the  Convention,  Rev. 
A.  T.  Dunn,  D.  D.,  was  asked  to  prepare  an  account  of 
each  minister  hitherto  connected  with  our  Maine  Baptist 
churches ;  and  the  secretary  of  the  executive  commit- 
tee. Rev.  E.  C.  Whittemore,  D.  D.,  was  asked  to  prepare 
an  account  of  each  Baptist  church  in  the  State  from 
the  beginning  of  our  history.  The  death  of  Dr.  Dunn 
occurred  soon  after  this  plan  was  formulated.  It  was 
then  found  that  the  time  remaining  for  such  an  undertak- 
ing was  insufficient,  and  the  plan  was  reluctantly  aban- 
doned. The  preparation  of  the  proposed  work,  however, 
is  one  that  should  be  entered  upon  at  an  early  day,  in 
order  that  it  may  be  brought  to  a  successful  issue. 

For  the  materials  of  his  history  the  writer  is  indebted 
very  largely  to  the  Minutes  of  the  Convention  and  of  the 
various  associations  in  the  State.  Much  material,  also, 
has  been  obtained  from  the  files  of  Zion's  Advocate.  The 
only  complete  file  of  the  Advocate  is  in  the  library  of 


iv  PREFACE. 

Colby  College,  and  to  the  courtesy  of  Dr.  Edward  W.  Hall, 
the  accomplished  librarian  of  the  college,  the  writer  is 
indebted  for  assistance  always  promptly  rendered.  He  is 
also  indebted  to  the  library  of  the  Maine  Historical  Society 
and  to  that  of  the  Newton  Theological  Institution  for  the 
use  of  such  books  as  could  not  be  found  in  his  own  collec- 
tion of  books  and  pamphlets  pertaining  to  the  Baptists  of 
Maine.  His  indebtedness  to  others  is  acknowledged  in 
the  foot-notes. 

Special  mention  should  be  made  of  the  service  ren- 
dered by  Rev.  E.  C.  Whittemore,  D.  D.,  of  Waterville,  in 
the  preparation  of  the  illustrations  which  are  scattered 
throughout  the  volume.  Much  time  has  been  given  by 
him  to  this  part  of  the  work,  and  the  very  great  excellence 
of  the  illustrations  will  readily  be  acknowledged.  We  are 
confident  that  Dr.  Whittemore's  faithful,  intelligent  ser- 
vice will  be  greatly  appreciated  by  all  of  our  readers. 
Portraits  of  many  who  have  been  prominent  in  making 
Baptist  history  in  Maine  will  be  missed,  but  only  a  limited 
number  could  be  selected,  and  it  was  decided  to  find  a 
place  only  for  those  who  are  no  longer  with  us.  The 
publishing  committee  of  the  Convention  decided  that  the 
frontispiece  should  be  a  portrait  of  the  author. 

Since  the  chapter  on  Colby  College  was  printed,  Mrs. 
Eliza  A.  (Foss)  Dexter  of  Worcester,  Mass.,  has  made  a 
gift  to  the  college  of  a  woman's  dormitory,  not  to  cost  more 
than  $40,000,  and  to  be  known  as  Foss  Hall.  As  mention 
of  this  generous  gift  could  not  otherwise  be  made  in  this 
volume,  it  is  made  here.  The  gift  is  one  that  means  much 
to  the  giver  and  to  the  young  women  of  her  native  State. 

The  action  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Conven- 
tion in  assuming  the  financial  obligation  imposed  by  the 
publication  of  this  volume  is  characteristic  of  the  broad, 
progressive  spirit  animating  an  organization  which  has 
become  so  powerful  an  instrument  in  promoting  our  vari- 
ous denominational  interests  in  the  State.  The  Conven- 
tion in  this  way  has  a  part  in  honoring  the  memory  of  the 
good  men  in  all  of  our  churches  who  have  toiled  so  heroic- 


PREFACE.  V 

ally  in  the  making  of  this  history  of  the  Baptists  in  Maine. 
At  the  same  time,  however,  it  may  very  confidently  look 
to  this  record  for  inspiration  to  larger,  nobler  achievement 
as  it  enters  upon  its  second  century  of  missionary  activity. 

Henry  S.  Burrage. 
Portland,  July  18,  1904. 


CO  NTEINTS. 


PAGES. 

Chapter  I.     Civil  and  Ecclesiastical  Beginnings  in  Maine .  •  1-11 
Chapter  II.    Rev.  William  Screven  and  the  Baptists  at 

Kittery 12-27 

Chapter  III,    The  Reappearance  of  Baptist  Views 28-46 

Chapter  IV.    The  Freewill  Baptist  Movement 47-61 

Chapter  V.     Potter,  Macomber,  Case 62-74 

Chapter  VI.    The  New  Hampshire  Association 75-85 

Chapter  VIL     Beginnings  of  the  Bowdoinham  Association.  86-106 

Chapter  VIII.     Missionary  Activity 107-132 

Chapter  IX.     Better  Days 133-148 

Chapter  X.    Further  Expansion 149-161 

Chapter  XI.    Educational  Beginnings 162-175 

Chapter  XII.     Beginnings  of  Foreign  Missionary  Work  •  • .  176-187 

Chapter  XIII.     Progress  of  the  Churches 188-204 

Chapter  XIV.    Waterville  College 205-219 

Chapter  XV.    The  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Society  and 

the  Maine  Baptist  Convention 220-238 

Chapter  XVI.    Maine  Baptist  Education  Society 239-255 

Chapter  XVII.     Zion's  Advocate 256-267 

Chapter  XVIII.     Sunday  Schools 268-282 

Chapter  XIX.     Temperance  Reform 283-302 

Chapter  XX.    Anti-Slavery  Agitation 303-327 

Chapter  XXI.    Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Convention 328-354 

Chapter  XXII.     Maine  Baptist  Education  Society 355-367 

Chapter  XXIII.    Colby  College 368-384 

Chapter  XXIV.     Increasing  Interest  in  Foreign  Missions .  385-405 
Chapter  XXV.    The  Baptists  of  Maine  and  Home  Mis- 
sions   406-420 

Chapter  XXVI.    The  Academies. 421-440 

Chapter  XXVII.    The  Churches  from  the  Close  of  the 

Civil  War 441-465 

Chapter  XXVIII.    A  Glance  Backward  and  Forward 466-472 

Appendices 473-483 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Rev.  Isaac  Case,  .  .  .  .  . 

The  Old  Meeting  House,  Yarmouth,     . 

First  Church,  Bangor,  .  .  .  . 

Rev.  Benjamin  Titcomb,      .... 

First  Church,  Sedgwick,  .  .  .  . 

First  Church,  Portland, 

BoARDMAN  Willows  (so  called),  Colby  College,     . 

Baptist  Church,  Calais,     .... 

Free  St.  Church,  Portland, 

James  T.  Champlin,  D.  D.,  LL.  D., 

Gardner  Colby,  .  .  .  .  . 

Rev.  L.  B.  Allen,  D.  D.,    . 

Dea.  J.  C.  White,  .  .  .  .  . 

Ripley,  Wilson,  Sargent,  Worth  and  Robinson, 

Baptist  Church,  Thomaston,   .  .  .  . 

Rev.  C.  G.  Porter,  ..... 

Rev.  Adam  Wilson,  D,  D.,       . 

Prof.  John  B.  Foster,  LL.  D., 

First  Baptist  Church,  Augusta, 

Baptist  Church,  Damariscotta, 

Rev.  George  Knox,         .  .  .  .  . 

Rev.  N.  M.  Wood,  D.  D., 

Sargent,  Bowler,  Harden  and  Kelley, 

Byron  Greenough,    ..... 

Rev.  Joseph  Ricker,  D.  D.,     . 

Daniel  S.  Ford,        ..... 

Rev.  Albert  T.  Dunn,  D.  D., 

Memorial  Hall,  Colby  College, 

Chemical  Building,  Colby  College, 

Court  St.  Baptist  Church,  Auburn, 

First  Church,  Waterville,     .  .  .  . 

First  Church,  Skowhegan, 

James  H.  Hanson,  LL.  D.,        . 

Benjamin  F.  Sturtevant, 

Sturtevant  Hall,  Hebron  Academy, 

Mrs.  B.  F.  Sturtevant,      .... 


page. 
66 
102 
131 
139 
146 
152 
184 
195 
196 
215 
217 
233 
236 
238 
249 
254 
258 
265 
314 
320 
325 
329 
331 
333 
342 
351 
352 
369 
381 
384 
391 
409 
421 
423 
424 
426 


Vlll 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Sturtevant  Home,  Hebron  Academy, 

Waterville  Classical  Institute, 

CoBURN  Classical  Institute, 

Wording  Hall,  Ricker  Classical  Institute, 

Mrs.  Catherine  L.  Wording, 

HiGGiNS  Classical  Institute, 

Baptist  Church,  Houlton, 

Rev.  W.  H.  Shailer,  D.  D., 

Gov.  Abner  Coburn, 

Bethany  Church,  Skowhegan, 

Baptist  Church,  New  Sweden, 

Bates  St.  Church,  Lewiston, 

Baptist  Church,  Rumford  Falls, 

Second  Church,  Bangor,    . 

Baptist  Church,  Millinocket, 


page. 
426 
428 
430 
432 
434 
439 
442 
444 
446 
452 
455 
456 
461 
463 
465 


History  of  the  Baptists  in  Maine. 


CHAPTER  I. 


Civil  and  Ecclesiastical  Beginnings  in  Maine. 

At  the  opening  of  the  seventeenth  century  not  a  single 
EngHsh  settler  was  to  be  fqund  at  any  point  on  the  Amer- 
ican coast  from  Newfoundland  to  Florida.  For  quite  a 
number  of  years,  however,  Englishmen  had  busied  them- 
selves with  western  colonization  schemes,  which,  in  the 
end,  for  one  reason  or  another,  had  proved  fruitless.  But 
hope  had  not  been  crushed.  Others  might  be  successful 
where  good  men  had  failed.  Gosnold  was  on  the  coast  of 
Maine  in  1602,  Pring  in  1603,  and  Waymouth  in  1605.  The 
promoters  of  these  voyages  were  unquestionably  moved  in 
their  successive  endeavors  by  reports  that  had  come  to 
them  from  the  new  world  concerning  the  great  fertility  of 
the  country,  and  also  concerning  the  large  private  gains 
they  might  reasonably  expect  from  the  required  financial 
outlay.  But  these  promoters,  we  are  told,  had  also  higher 
ends  in  view.  Rosier,  in  his  "True  Relation"  of  Way- 
mouth's  voyage,  says  that  the  "honorable  setters  forth"  of 
that  expedition  had  in  view  "a  public  good,"  and  they 
were  also  moved  by  a  "true  zeal  of  promulgating  God's 
holy  church  by  planting  Christianity."^ 

In  the  first  Letters  Patent,  dated  April  10,  1606,  granted 
by  James  I.  for  the  plantation  of  Virginia,  lying  between 
the  34th  and  45th  degrees  of  north  latitude,  and  compris- 
ing North  and  South  Virginia,  it  is  expressly  stated  that 
the  desire  of  the  Patentees  was  granted  by  the  King,  that 

'  Rosier's  True  Relation.    The  Gorges  Society,  1887,  p.  150. 
2 


2  HISTORY    OF    THE    BAPTISTS    IN    MAINE. 

"so  noble  a  work  may  by  the  Providence  of  Almighty  God 
hereafter  tend  to  the  glory  of  his  Divine  Majesty,  in  prop- 
agating of  Christian  religion  to  such  people  as  live  in 
darkness  and  miserable  ignorance  of  the  true  knowledge 
and  worship  of  God,  and  may  in  time  bring  the  infidels 
and  savages  (living  in  those  parts)  to  human  civility  and 
to  a  settled  and  quiet  government. "  An  ordinance,  under 
the  sign-manual  of  the  King  and  the  Privy  Seal,  explana- 
tory of  these  Letters  Patent,  and  passed  Nov.  20,  1606, 
before  any  expedition  under  either  of  these  grants  had 
sailed,  contained  this  added  declaration:  "That  the  said 
presidents,  councils,  and  the  ministers,  should  provide 
that  the  word  and  service  of  God  be  preached,  planted 
and  used,  not  only  in  the  said  colonies,  but  also  as  much 
as  might  be,  among  them,  according  to  the  rites  and 
doctrine  of  the  church  of  England." 

When  the  Popham  colonists  came  hither  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1607,  they  brought  with  them  a  clergyman  of 
the  church  of  England,  Rev.  Richard  Seymour,^  who  on 
Sunday,  August  9,  on  one  of  the  islands  forming  St. 
Georges  Harbor,— the  rendezvous  of  the  two  vessels  that 
brought  the  colonists  from  England,— held  a  religious 
service,  preaching  a  sermon,  and  "giving  God  thanks" 
for  the  safe  arrival  of  the  ships.  ^  There  can  be  no  doubt 
as  to  "the  Episcopal  character  of  both  preacher  and  peo- 
ple." Everything  points  in  that  direction.  "Popham's 
brother,  holding  office  under  the  crown,   and  Raleigh's 

*  An  ingenious  conjecture  has  been  advanced  that  Rev.  Richard  Seymour  was  a  great 
grandson  of  Sir  Edward  Seymour,  who  in  the  minority  of  his  nephew,  Edward  VI.,  was 
created  Duke  of  Somerset  and  governed  the  realm  as  Lord  Protector.  See  the  Popham 
Memorial  Volume,  pp.  101-103.  If  so  he  "  was  related  to  Gorges,  the  projector  of  the 
colony ;  to  Popham,  its  patron  ;  to  Popham,  its  president ;  and  to  Gilbert,  its  admiral,  all 
through  the  common  link  of  the  family  of  his  mother.  When  they  sought  a  chaplain, 
they  found  one  in  Richard  Seymour ;  and  no  other  Richard  Seymour  is  known  except 
this  relative  of  theirs." 

-  The  claim  has  frequently  been  made  that  this  religious  service  was  on  Monhegan,  and 
it  has  been  proposed  to  erect  a  monument  on  Monhegan  to  commemorate  this  first 
religious  service  by  the  colonists  on  American  soil.  But  there  is  no  evidence  whatever 
that  the  Popham  colonists  landed  on  Monhegan.  On  the  other  hand  the  narrative  which 
has  preserved  to  us  the  facts  concerning  the  Popham  colony  makes  it  plain  "  that 
Popham's  ship  did  make  landfall  at  Monhegan,  but  without  tarrying  sailed  directly  by 
to  the  Georges."    See  Thayer's  Sagadahoc  Colony,  published  by  the  Gorges  Society,  p.  56. 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BAPTISTS    IN    MAINE.  3 

nephew  and  Gilbert's  son"— prominently  connected  with 
the  expedition— "would  hardly  be  found  linked  in  with 
the  'separatists'  from  the  English  church  at  so  early  a 
date  as  this.  "^ 

But  the  colony  was  doomed  to  speedy  failure.  The  char- 
acter of  the  colonists,  as  indicated  in  the  narratives  that 
have  come  down  to  us,  was  not  that  of  men  who  could  be 
counted  upon  for  energy  and  endurance  in  such  an  enter- 
prise. George  Popham,  brother  of  Sir  John  and  governor 
of  the  colony,  is  described  by  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges,  the 
chief  promoter  of  the  enterprise,  as  "an  honest  man,  but 
old  and  of  an  unwieldly  body,  and  timorously  fearful  to 
offend  or  contest  with  others  that  will  or  do  oppose  him, 
but  otherwise  a  discreet  careful  man,"  while  Raleigh 
Gilbert,  a  son  of  Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert,  and  second  in 
authority  in  the  colony,  is  spoken  of  as  "desirous  of 
supremacy  and  rule,"  of  a  "loose  life,  prompt  to  sensu- 
ality," with  "little  zeal  for  religion,  humorous,  headstrong, 
and  of  small  judgment  and  experience,  otherwise  valiant 
enough.""  All  but  forty-five  of  the  colonists— doubtless 
the  most  undesirable— returned  to  England  on  the  Gift  of 
God  (one  of  the  vessels  that  brought  the  colonists  from 
England)  which  left  the  Kennebec  on  the  return  voyage, 
Dec.  15,  1607.  George  Popham  died  Feb.  5,  1608,  and  in 
the  following  summer,  when  Raleigh  Gilbert  heard  of  the 
death  of  his  elder  brother.  Sir  John  Gilbert,  and  announced 
his  purpose  to  return  to  England,  the  rest  of  the  colonists 
decided  to  accompany  him,  and  the  settlement  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Kennebec  was  abandoned.  '  'All  our  former 
hopes  were  frozen  to  death,"  wrote  Gorges  years  after- 
ward, when  referring  to  the  failure  of  this  initial  effort  at 
colonization  at  the  mouth  of  the  Sagadahoc,  and  all 
thought  of  further  colonial  undertaking  was  '  'wholly  given 
over  by  the  body  of  the  adventurers."  Gorges  himself, 
however,   did  not  lose  heart,   "not  doubting,"  he  said, 

*  Memorial  Volume  of  the  Popham  Colony,  published  by  the  Maine  Historical  Society, 
p.  327. 

*  The  Sasadahoc  Colony.    Thayer  p.  32,  and  p.  135. 


4  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

"but  God  would  effect  that  which  men  despaired  of ;"  and 
so  he  "became  owner  of  a  ship— fit  for  that  employment," 
and  "under  color  of  fishing  and  trading"  sent  her  across 
the  Atlantic.  Others  fitted  out  vessels  for  fishing  and  for 
traffic  with  the  Indians,  and  the  number  of  such  vessels 
increased  year  by  year.  In  1614,  Capt.  John  Smith  was 
at  Monhegan,  and  on  his  return  to  England  he  visited 
Gorges,  who  listened  with  interest  to  his  glowing  report 
concerning  the  country  and  at  once  entered  into  negotia- 
tions with  him  to  establish  a  colony  on  these  western 
shores.  The  year  following,  after  many  disappointments, 
Smith  with  his  two  vessels  left  England  for  the  coast  of 
Maine.  But  the  expedition  proved  a  failure.  One  vessel 
was  obliged  to  put  back  for  repairs,  and  the  other,  with 
Smith,  was  captured  by  a  French  cruiser.  In  1616, 
Richard  Vines,  who  is  supposed  to  have  been  on  the  coast 
in  earlier  years,  landed  with  other  voyagers  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Saco  in  one  of  Gorges'  ships  and  there  spent  the 
winter.  But  Gorges'  scheme  of  colonization  still  failed  of 
realization. 

An  ardent  Episcopalian,  Gorges  had  no  sympathy  with 
the  "separatists"  at  Plymouth.  Indeed  the  presence  of 
the  Pilgrims  on  the  shores  of  Massachusetts  Bay  only 
served  to  quicken  in  Gorges  the  hope  of  establishing  in 
the  same  general  locality  a  colony  in  close  relation  to  the 
crown,  and  in  which  the  church  of  England  should  have 
what  Gorges  regarded  as  its  rightful  place.  August  10, 
1622,  Gorges  and  Capt.  John  Mason  obtained  a  patent  for 
the  territory  between  the  Merrimac  and  Kennebec  rivers, 
and  extending  inland  sixty  miles.  This  territory  they 
named  the  Province  of  Maine,  and  Robert  Gorges,  the 
younger  son  of  Sir  Ferdinando,  as  Governor  and  Lieu- 
tenant General  of  the  entire  country,  came  over  to  New 
England  in  1623,  bringing  with  him,  as  his  chaplain.  Rev. 
William  Morrell,  a  clergyman  of  the  church  of  England, 
who  was  commissioned  to  superintend  the  setting  up  of 
the  established  church  throughout  the  country.  "There 
was  to  be  a  public  plantation  at  the  mouth  of  the  Sagada- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  5 

hoc,  to  which  was  devoted  forty  square  miles  of  territory ; 
and  this  was  to  be  called  the  'State  County. '  A  city  was 
to  be  erected  in  it  named  by  the  king,  and  both  the  county 
and  city  were  to  be  divided  by  lot  among  Sir  Ferdinando 
and  his  associates. "  ^  But  Governor  Gorges  met  with  oppo- 
sition to  his  government,  and  soon  returned  to  England. 

Richard  Vines,  however,  a  trusted  friend  of  Gorges, 
established  himself  ere  long  at  the  mouth  of  the  Saco. 
Other  settlements  were  made  at  Cape  Porpoise,  Rich- 
mond's Island,  Black  Point,  New  Harbor,  etc.  Those 
most  interested  in  these  various  settlements  were  devout 
members  of  the  church  of  England,  and  efforts  were  made 
from  time  to  time  to  establish  in  connection  with  these  set- 
tlements the  forms  of  worship  belonging  to  that  church. 
Edward  Trelawney,  writing  to  his  brother  Robert,  Oct.  10, 
1635,  concerning  the  state  of  affairs  at  Richmond's  Island, 
said  :  ''Touching  the  manner  of  our  proceedings  here,  I 
praise  the  Lord  we  go  on  contentedly,  but  should  do  more 
comfortably  if  we  enjoyed  those  sweet  means  which  draw 
a  blessing  on  all  things,  even  those  holy  ordinances  and 
heavenly  manna  of  our  souls  which  in  other  parts  of  this 
land  flow  abundantly,  even  to  the  great  rejoicing  and 
comforting  of  the  people  of  God.""  Writing  on  the  10th 
of  January  following,  he  added  :  "But  above  all  I  earnestly 
requested  you  for  a  religious,  able  minister,  for  it's  a  most 
pitiful  to  behold  what  a  most  heathen  life  we  live ;  it's 
without  God  in  the  world.  To  feed  the  body  and  starve 
the  soul  is  above  all  things  most  unwarrantable  and  detest- 
able ;  and  that  for  which  the  Lord  hath  threatened  the 
pouring  down  of  his  judgments  upon  us.  "^ 

Rev.  Richard  Gibson,  who  had  just  taken  his  degree 
at  Magdalen  College,  Oxford,  answered  this  call.  He 
reached  Richmond's  Island,  it  is  thought,  May  24,  1636. 

'Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges  and  his  Province  of  Maine.     By  James  P.  Baxter.     Published 
by  the  Prince  Society,  Vol.  1,  p.  131. 

^  The  Trelawney  Papers.     Edited  by  James  P.  Baxter  and  published  by  the  Maine  His- 
torical Society,  p.  72. 

'The Trelawney  Papers,  p.  79. 


6  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

John  Winter,  writing  to  Robert  Trelawney  from  Rich- 
mond's Island,  June  23,  1636,  says  :  "Our  minister  is  a 
very  fair  condition  man,  and  one  that  doth  keep  himself 
in  very  good  order  and  instructs  our  people  well,  if  please 
God  to  give  us  the  grace  to  follow  his  instruction." 
Gibson  remained  at  Richmond's  Island  a  little  more  than 
three  years,^  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Robert  Jordan,^ 
of  Baliol  College,  Oxford,  also  a  clergyman  of  the  church 
of  England. 

But  the  various  colonization  schemes  in  which  Gorges 
and  others  were  interested  in  New  England  did  not  flour- 
ish as  did  the  Puritan  settlements  of  Massachusetts  Bay, 
whither  colonists  in  such  great  numbers  were  making 
their  way  that  King  Charles,  early  in  1634,  issued  a  proc- 
lamation forbidding  any  man  to  leave  the  kingdom  who 
had  not  a  certificate  "of  his  having  taken  the  oaths  of 
supremacy  and  allegiance  and  likewise  from  the  minister 
of  the  parish,  of  his  conversation  and  conformity  to  the 
orders  and  discipline  of  the  church  of  England."^  At  the 
same  time  a  plan  was  formed  for  placing  over  New  Eng- 
land a  viceregal  government,  wielding  not  only  royal  but 

^  See  The  Trelawney  Papers,  pp.  86,  87,  note.  When  he  left  Richmond's  Island,  Rev. 
Richard  Gibson  went  to  Portsmouth,  where  he  became  rector  of  the  Episcopal  church. 
While  at  Richmond's  Island  he  married  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Lewis  of  Saco.  "Though 
Winthrop  called  him  a  scholar,  he  did  not  like  his  zeal  in  behalf  of  the  Episcopacy,  and 
he  was  summoned  to  Massachusetts  on  the  charge  of  marrying  and  baptizing  at  the  Isles 
of  Shoals,  a  practice  the  Colony  forbade  to  the  clergy  of  the  English  church.  For  this, 
and  alleged  disrespectful  comments  upon  the  Massachusetts  government,  he  was  held  in 
custody  in  Boston  for  several  days  ;  but,  says  Winthrop,  as  'he  was  a  stranger,  and  was 
to  depart  the  country  in  a  few  days,  he  was  discharged  without  any  fine  or  other  pun- 
ishment.'" See  also  Cleveland,  Sketches  of  the  Ecclesiastical  History  of  the  State  of 
Maine,  p.  223. 

''Rev.  Robert  Jordan  came  to  New  England— he  was  a  native  of  Worcester,  England— 
in  1639.  "He  was  a  man  of  ability,  and  under  other  conditions  might  have  perhaps 
ranked  among  the  leading  divines  of  the  New  World  ;  but  at  this  time  the  church  for 
which  he  labored  found  an  unkindly  soil  in  New  England,  and  would  not  take  root,  toiled 
the  husbandman  never  so  faithful.  Hence,  discouraged  by  opposition,  and  the  word 
within  him  perhaps  becoming  'choked  by  the  deceitfulness  of  riches,'  he  finally  gave  up 
the  ministry  and  devoted  himself  to  his  private  affairs."  Hon.  James  P.  Baxter,  The 
Trelawney  Papers,  p.  270.  Jordan  married  Sarah,  daughter  of  John  Winter,  and  by  this 
alliance  became  at  length  the  sole  proprietor  of  Robert  Trelawney 's  large  estate  in  New 
England. 

^  Rymer's  Foedera,  Vol.  20,  p.  143.  Letter  of  Henry  Dade  to  the  Archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury, dated  Feb.  4,  1634.  Council  Register,  Colonial  Papers,  Charles  I.,  Public  Records 
Office. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  7 

ecclesiastical  powers.^  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges  was  promi- 
nent in  this  movement,  and  prepared  *  'considerations  nec- 
essary to  be  resolved  upon  in  settling  the  Governor  for 
New  England,"  one  of  which  was  whether  persons  going 
to  New  England  should  not  "be  bound  to  be  conformable 
to  the  rites  and  ceremonies  of  the  church."^  Such  was 
the  influence  of  Gorges  with  the  king  that  it  seemed  as 
if  the  entire  control  of  New  England  was  about  to  pass 
into  the  hands  of  Gorges,  as  Governor  General.  Indeed 
his  appointment  to  that  office  was  announced,  but  the 
plans  of  Sir  Ferdinando  and  his  associates  miscarried. 
"The  Lord,"  said  Winthrop,  "frustrated  their  designs."' 

So  it  seemed  to  the  Puritan  settlers  of  Massachusetts 
Bay.  Otherwise,  however,  it  seemed  to  the  members  of 
the  church  of  England  in  the  scattered  and  less  flourishing 
settlements  north  of  the  Piscataqua.  They  saw  only  the 
grasping  designs  of  their  forceful  neighbors,  *  'whose  emu- 
lous aspirations,  arising  from  a  colonization  of  unexampled 
energy,  had  reached  even  to  Pegypscot."*  But  not  in  the 
least  did  they  abandon  heart  or  hope.  Gorges,  who  had 
now  secured  for  himself  the  country  from  the  Piscataqua 
to  the  Sagadahoc,  which  he  called  New  Somersetshire,  sent 
over,  as  governor  of  this  territory,  his  nephew  William 
Gorges,  who  March  21,  1636,  soon  after  his  arrival  in  the 
country,  opened  his  court  at  Saco.  His  administration  of 
the  government  was  in  a  measure  satisfactory  to  the  peo- 
ple, but  he  was  not  pleased  with  his  position,  and  he 
returned  to  England  in  1637. 

In  July  of  that  year  the  king,  still  intent  upon  establish- 
ing a  general  government  for  New  England  with  Gorges 
as  governor,  issued  a  manifesto  to  this  end,  which  was 
followed  Jan.  23, 1638,  with  an  order  from  the  Privy  Coun- 
cil to  the  Attorney  General  for  drawing  a  patent  for  the 
Province  of  Maine  in  favor  of  Gorges.    This  was  finally 

'  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorgrea  and  his  Province  of  Maine,  by  James  P.  Baxter,  Vol.  1,  p.  164. 
•Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges  and  his  Province  of  Maine,  by  James  P.  Baxter,  Vol.  1.  p.  165. 
•The  History  of  New  England,  by  John  Winthrop,  Esq.,  Boston,  1853,  Vol.  1,  p.  192. 
*  Collections  of  the  Maine  Historical  Society,  First  Series,  Vol.  6,  p.  183. 


8  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

granted  April  3,  1639.  By  it  Gorges  was  clothed  with 
almost  unlimited  powers.  "Under  it  he  controlled  the 
patronage  of  all  churches  erected  in  the  Province ;  could 
build,  dedicate  and  consecrate  churches  according  to  the 
ecclesiastical  laws  of  England,  with  all  the  rights,  privi- 
leges, prerogatives,  etc.  as  were  exercised  by  the  Bishop 
of  Durham  within  his  bishopric."^  The  purpose  of  the 
king  in  this  could  not  be  misunderstood.  "Our  will  and 
pleasure,"  he  said,  "is  that  the  religion  now  possessed  in 
the  church  of  England  and  ecclesiastical  government  now 
used  in  the  same,  shall  be  ever  hereafter  professed,  and 
with  as  much  convenient  speed  as  may  be  settled  and 
established  in  and  throughout  the  said  Province. "  In  har- 
mony with  this  purpose  of  the  king,  at  the  first  session 
of  the  court  convened  at  Saco  under  the  new  charter,  an 
order  was  passed  that  all  the  inhabitants,  who  have  any 
children  unbaptized,  should  have  them  baptized  as  soon 
as  any  minister  is  settled  in  any  of  their  plantations. 
Refusal  to  obey  this  order  subjected  one  to  punishment  by 
the  civil  authorities.^ 

It  was  Gorges'  purpose,  although  he  was  now  an  old 
man,  to  go  to  New  England  ere  long  and  work  out  in  per- 
son the  realization  of  his  long  cherished  hopes.  Enjoying 
in  such  a  high  degree  royal  favor,  he  might  reasonably 
regard  it  as  possible  to  build  up  on  his  possessions  a  colony 
which  should  at  length  overshadow  the  Puritan  colony  of 
Massachusetts  Bay.  But  other  and  stronger  influences 
were  already  at  work  in  opposition  to  Gorges'  hopes  and 
aims.  The  long  struggle  between  the  king  and  parliament 
commenced  in  1640,  threatening  not  only  the  existence 
of  the  government,  but  that  of  the  established  church  as 
well.  On  this  side  of  the  sea,  also,  events  were  occurring 
that  were  hostile  to  Gorges'  interests.  It  could  not  be 
otherwise  while  the  mother  country  was  engaged  in  civil 
war,  and  the  colonists  of  Massachusetts  Bay  were  alive  to 
their  opportunity.     Settlers  more  and  more  made  their 

*  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges  and  his  Province  of  Maine,  by  James  P.  Baxter,  p.  180. 
"  Willis'  History  of  Portland,  p.  48.    Williamson's  History  of  Maine,  Vol.  1,  p.  297. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  9 

way  into  the  Province  of  Maine  who  were  in  sympathy 
with  the  Puritan  movement  and  not  with  the  church  of 
England.  At  Saco,  where  Episcopal  worship  had  been 
established,  Thomas  Jenner/  a  Puritan  minister,  writing 
to  Gov.  Winthrop  April  2,  1641,  and  evidently  with  refer- 
ence to  a  caution  against  interference  with  the  church 
people,  said  :  '  'Nor  have  I  inveighed  in  the  least  measure 
against  the  church  of  England  (to  my  remembrance)  but 
have  been  (and  still  am)  very  fearful  to  give  one  word  of 
distaste  about  those  things,  but  altogether  do  seek  to  gain 
them  to  Christ.  True  I  do  acknowledge  that  after  I  had 
been  here  for  the  space  of  a  month  or  six  weeks  and  per- 
ceiving them  very  superstitious  (performing  man's  inven- 
tion rather  than  instituted  worship  of  God) ,  now  that  I 
might  gain  their  good  esteem  of  God's  pure  ordinances, 
and  make  them  see  the  evil  and  folly  of  their  superstition 
and  will-worship,  I  made  choice  of  Psalm  19  and  7  to 
handle  it  at  large.  .  .  .  Now  (I  heartily  thank  God) 
it  took  a  general  good  impression,  except  Mr.  Vines  and 
one  more  who  told  me  I  struck  at  the  church  of  Eng- 
land, though  I  mentioned  her  not."^  It  is  said  that 
"Mr.  Jenner  was  probably  the  first  Puritan  minister  that 
preached  in  Maine. '"'  At  Wells  in  1643,  we  find  Rev.  John 
Wheelwright,^  who  had  been  banished  from  Boston  for 

*  Concerning'  Thomas  Jenner  see  Collections  and  Proceedings  of  the  Maine  Historical 
Society,  Second  Series,  Vol.  3,  pp.  293-297.  "Mr.  Jenner  preached  with  acceptance  and 
success  to  the  settlers  at  Saco  during  a  period  of  two  years  ;  but  where  he  was  engaged 
in  the  ministry  after  he  left  that  place  we  have  no  satisfactory  account.  If  he  were  the 
man  of  his  name,  resident  in  Charlestown  in  1649,  he  probably  returned  to  England  the 
succeeding  year.  He  was  a  book  scholar,  indigent  and  laborious,  having  probably  a 
greater  number  of  tomes  than  of  talents,  for  no  mention  is  made  of  his  abilities  ;  yet  he 
left  a  library  so  large  as  to  be  particularly  noticed  ;  and  so  valuable  as  to  have  paid  to 
him,  by  Governor  Winslow  for  it,  who  purchased  it,  fifty  pounds  in  advance  on  account 
of  his  pressing  necessities.  Some  supposed  it  was  bought  for  the  use  of  a  society  formed 
for  educating  the  Indians  by  means  of  established  seminaries  of  learning  for  their 
instruction  ;  others  thought  it  was  intended  for  the  enlargement  of  the  college,  newly 
established  at  Cambridge,  an  object  more  immediately  important,  it  was  said,  than  the 
Indian  design  itself."  William  D.  Williamson,  Collections  and  Proceedings  of  the  Maine 
Historical  Society,  Second  Series,  Vol.  3,  pp.  294,  295. 

'  History  of  Saco  and  Biddeford,  by  George  Folsom,  pp.  81,  82. 

*  History  of  Saco  and  Biddeford,  by  George  Folsom.  p.  83. 

*  He  was  a  brother-in-law  of  the  celebrated  Anne  Hutchinson,  and  was  a  fellow  stu- 
dent of  Oliver  Cromwell  at  Sidney  Sussex  College,  Cambridge,  where  he  received  his 


10  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

Antinomianism.  He  remained  at  Wells  several  years, 
and  undoubtedly  preached  to  the  people  during  his  resi- 
dence there,  as  a  church  of  some  kind  seems  to  have  been 
organized.^ 

Meanwhile  the  Episcopalians  continued  their  efforts  in 
behalf  of  the  church  of  England,  but  they  were  compelled 
to  witness  from  time  to  time  the  growing  ascendency  of 
forces  hostile  to  its  presence.  They  sought  "to  protect 
themselves  from  interruption  in  their  enjoyment  of  the 
usages  of  their  church,  as  they  looked  for  hostile  demon- 
strations against  the  customs  of  their  fathers.  Anxieties 
were  thus  awakened,  which  following  events  increased, 
rather  than  allayed.  Many  of  the  early  settlers  doubtless 
came  over  in  the  mere  spirit  of  adventure.  But  it  would 
be  a  stinted  measure  of  charity  which  will  not  allow  that 
in  all  the  families  risking  their  fortunes  in  the  enterprise, 
there  were  some  persons  who  cherished  the  spirit  of  reli- 
gion, and  attended  to  its  practical  duties,  as  well  as  its 
customary  forms.  The  desire  to  have  'a  goodly  minister' 
(1641)  by  the  people,  finds  a  place  in  the  records  of  these 
times.  They  renewed  the  institutions  and  laws  of  their 
native  country."^ 

Rev.  Robert  Jordan,  who  officiated  at  Scarborough,  Casco 
(now  Portland)  and  Saco,  was  the  leader  of  those  who  thus 
clung  to  the  church  of  England.  "He  and  his  friends 
were  resolute  in  purpose  and  confident  in  their  view  of 
the  right.    Sustained  by  the  favoring  judgment  of  his 

Bachelor's  degree  in  1614  and  that  of  Master  of  Arts  four  years  later.  "I  remember  the 
time,"  once  said  the  Lord  Protector,  "when  I  was  more  afraid  of  meeting  Wheelwright 
at  foot  ball,  than  I  have  been  since  of  meeting  an  army  in  the  field,  for  I  was  infallibly 
sure  of  being  tripped  up  by  him."  There  is  a  sketch  of  Rev.  John  Wheelwright  by 
William  D.  Williamson  in  the  Collections  and  Proceedings  of  the  Maine  Historical 
Society.  Second  Series,  Vol.  3,  pp.  297-315. 

'  Williamson  says :  "There  was  probably  a  church  established  here  by  Mr.  Wheel- 
wright, as  he  had  always  sustained  his  ministerial  character ;  some  of  his  church  had 
never  left  him,  but  accompanied  him  thither,  and  the  two  years  afterward  when  the 
town  submitted  to  Massachusetts,  the  commissioners,  after  hearing  disputants  about 
living  in  a  covenant  relation,  pronounced  them  no  church,  implying  there  had  been  one, 
and  if  so,  it  was  the  first  and  eldest  in  Maine.  Gk)vemor  Winthrop  speaks  of  Mr. 
Wheelwright  at  Wells,  'where  he  was  pastor  of  a  church.' "  Collections  and  Proceed- 
ings of  the  Maine  Historical  Society,  Second  Series,  Vol.  3,  p.  307. 

'  Collections  of  the  Maine  Historical  Society,  First  Series,  Vol.  6,  pp.  183-4. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  11 

many  friends  in  the  community,  who  were  at  first  the 
majority  and  possessing  great  influence  with  them,  he 
encouraged  them  as  long  as  there  was  any  hope  of  success, 
to  resist  the  manifest  design  of  Massachusetts. ' '  ^ 

Yet  so  strong  did  the  influence  of  Massachusetts  in 
rehgious  matters  in  the  province  manifest  itself  that,  as 
early  as  1660,  Mr.  Jordan  was  summoned  by  the  General 
Court  at  Boston  to  appear  and  answer  for  his  "irregular 
practices"  as  a  clergyman  of  the  church  of  England  in 
baptizing  the  children  of  Nathaniel  Wallis  "after  the 
exercises  were  ended  on  the  Lord's  day  in  the  house  of 
Mrs.  Macworth  in  the  town  of  Falmouth,"  and  he  was 
requested  "to  desist  from  any  such  practices  for  the 
future."  The  Episcopal  establishment,  so  to  speak,  had 
gradually  disappeared,  and  the  "Congregational  way" 
was  now  taking  its  place. 

In  1677,  by  the  payment  of  £1,250  sterling  to  the 
grandson  of  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges,  Massachusetts  made 
good  her  title  to  this  coveted  territory,  and,  secure  now 
in  the  possession  of  the  province,  she  ruled  it  in  the  same 
spirit  of  religious  intolerance  that  drove  Roger  Williams 
from  Salem,  and  which  had  already  manifested  itself  in 
the  shore  towns  of  Maine. 

*  Collections  of  the  Maine  Historical  Society,  First  Series,  Vol.  6,  pp.  184-5. 


CHAPTER  II. 


Rev.  William  Screven  and  the  Baptists  at  Kittery. 

Information  concerning  the  presence  of  Baptists  in  the 
Province  of  Maine  is  contained  in  a  letter  which  Hum- 
phrey Churchwood,  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church  in 
Boston,  but  a  resident  of  Kittery,  addressed  to  his  breth- 
ren of  Massachusetts  Bay  January  3,  1682.  ^  The  letter 
is  as  follows : 

"Humphrey,  a  servant  of  Jesus  Christ  to  the  church 
which  is  at  Boston : "  grace  be  with  you,  and  peace,  from 
God,  even  the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  Father 
of  mercies  and  the  God  of  all  comforts,  who  comforteth  us 
in  all  our  tribulations  that  we  may  be  able  to  comfort  them 
that  are  in  any  trouble,  as  we  are  comforted  of  God.  Most 
dearly  beloved  brethren  and  friends,  as  I  am,  through  free 
grace,  a  member  of  the  same  body,  and  joined  to  the  same 
head,  Christ  Jesus,  I  thought  it  my  special  duty  to  inform 
you  that  the  tender  mercy  of  God,  in  and  through  Jesus 
Christ,  hath  shined  upon  us  by  giving  light  to  them  that 
sit  in  darkness,  and  to  guide  our  feet  in  the  way  of  peace  ; 
for  a  great  door,  and  effectual,  is  opened  in  these  parts, 
and  there  are  many  adversaries,  according  to  the  1st  of 
Corinthians,  16 :  9.     Therefore,  dearly  beloved,  having  a 

'  This  is  New  Style. 

^  The  First  Baptist  church  in  Boston  was  organized  in  Charlestown,  May  28, 1665.  The 
record  of  the  church  reads  :  "  The  28  of  the  3d  mo.  1665,  in  Charlestowne,  Massachusetts, 
the  Churche  of  Christ,  commonly  (though  falsely)  called  Anabaptiste  were  gathered 
togather  And  entered  into  fellowship  &  communion  each  with  other,  Ingaigeing  to 
walke  togather  in  all  the  appointments  of  there  Lord  &  Master  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as 
f  arre  as  hee  should  bee  pleased  to  make  known  his  mind  &  will  unto  them  by  his  word  & 
Spirit,  And  then  were  Baptized  Thomas  Gold,  Thomas  Osboume,  Edward  Drinker,  John 
Gteorge  and  joyned  with  Richard  Gtoodall,  William  Turner,  Robert  Lambert  Mary  Goodall, 
Mary  Newell  who  had  walked  in  that  order  in  old  England."  The  above  record  includes 
evidently  the  church  covenant,  as  it  is  very  like  the  earliest  church  covenants  that  have 
been  preserved. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  13 

desire  to  the  service  of  Christ,  which  is  perfect  freedom, 
and  the  propagating  his  glorious  gospel  of  peace  and  salva- 
tion, and  eyeing  that  precious  promise  in  Daniel  the  12th, 
3d,  'They  that  turn  many  to  righteousness  shall  shine  as 
the  stars  forever, '  therefore  I  signify  unto  you  that  here 
[are]  a  competent  number  of  well  established  people  whose 
hearts  the  Lord  hath  opened  insomuch  that  they  have 
gladly  received  the  word  and  do  seriously  profess  their 
hearty  desire  to  the  following  of  Christ  and  to  partake  of 
all  his  holy  ordinances,  according  to  his  blessed  institution 
and  divine  appointment ;  therefore  I  present  my  ardent 
desire  to  your  serious  consideration,  which  is,  if  the  Lord 
see  it  fit,  to  have  a  gospel  church  planted  here  in  this 
place,  and  in  order  hereunto,  we  think  it  meet  that  our 
beloved  brother,  William  Screven,  who  is,  through  free 
grace,  gifted  and  endued  with  the  spirit  of  veterans  to 
preach  the  gospel  [be  ordained] ;  who,  being  called  by  us, 
who  are  visibly  joined  to  the  church.  When  our  beloved 
brother  is  ordained  according  to  the  sacred  rule  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  our  humble  petition  is  to  God  that  he  will  be 
pleased  to  carry  on  this  good  work  to  the  glory  of  his  holy 
name,  and  to  the  enlarging  of  the  kingdom  of  his  beloved 
Son,  our  dear  Redeemer,  who  will  add  daily  to  his  church 
such  as  shall  be  saved  ;  and  we  desire  you  in  the  name  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  not  to  be  slack  in  this  good  work,  believing 
verily  that  you  will  not,  and  that  you  are  always  abound- 
ing in  the  work  of  the  Lord,  and  we  humbly  crave  your 
petitions  for  us  to  the  throne  of  grace,  and  we  commend 
you  to  God  and  the  good  word  of  his  grace,  which  is  able 
to  build  you  up  and  to  give  you  an  inheritance  among  them 
that  are  sanctified. "  ^ 

Humphrey  Church  wood,  the  writer  of  this  letter,  and 
William  Screven,  to  whom  he  refers,  were  baptized  and 
united  with  the  Baptist  church  in  Boston  June  21,  1681. 
The  record  on  the  original  church  book  is  as  follows : 
"William  Screeven  &  his  wife  &  Humphrey  — urkwood 

'  I  have  followed  the  copy  of  this  letter  which  is  found  in  the  reprint  of   Backus'  His- 
tory of  the  Baptists  of  New  England  (1871),  Vol.  1.  p.  401. 


14  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

baptized  the  21st  of  4  mo  1681  &  received  to  communion." 
Concerning  the  previous  history  of  Mr.  Screven  but  Httle 
is  known.  He  came  to  Kittery  from  England  undoubt- 
edly, but  at  what  time  there  is  no  record.^  After  his 
settlement  at  Kittery  he  is  first  mentioned  in  a  deed^  by 
which,  November  15,  1673,  Elizabeth  Seely  granted  ten 
acres  of  land  on  the  west  side  of  Spruce  Creek,  Kittery, 
at  what  was  known  as  Carle's  Point,  to  William  Screven, 
for  eleven  pounds  "current  pay  of  New  England. "  ^  He  is 
next  mentioned  in  the  record  of  his  marriage,  July  3,  1674, 
to  Bridget  Cutts,  a  daughter  of  Robert  Cutts,  one  of  the 
three  brothers  so  prominent  among  the  early  settlers  of 
New  Hampshire.  John,  the  oldest,  was  the  first  presi- 
dent of  New  Hampshire  ;  Robert,  the  youngest,  settled  at 
Barbadoes,  in  the  West  Indies,  where  he  married,  as  his 
second  wife,  Mary  Hoel.  Subsequently  he  came  to  New 
England,  and  first  lived  in  Portsmouth,  in  the  Great  House 
(so-called)  at  the  foot  of  Pitt  Street.  Afterward  he 
removed  to  Kittery,  where  he  was  extensively  engaged  in 
ship-building.  He  had  two  sons  and  four  daughters.  It 
was  the  second  of  these  daughters  whom  William  Screven 
married. 

From  the  Records  of  the  Province  of  Maine*  we  learn 
that  at  a  County  Court,  held  at  York,  July  6,  1675,  among 

'  See,  for  an  extended  notice  of  Rev.  William  Screven,  Collections  and  Proceedings  of 
the  Maine  Historical  Society,  Second  Series,  Vol.  1,  paper  read  by  Rev.  H.  S.  Burrage, 
pp.  45-56 ;  also  a  paper  by  the  same  in  Vol.  5,  same  Series,  pp.  275-284. 

2  York  Deeds,  Book  4,  Folio  41. 

^  Moses  A.  Safford,  Esq.,  of  Kittery,  examined  the  western  shore  of  Spruce  Creek  a 
few  years  ago,  and  from  the  description  given  in  this  deed  he  located  Mr.  Screven's  lot 
on  the  Rogers  farm,  which  was  made  up  of  lots  purchased  by  Richard  Rogers  of  the 
Cutts  family,  and  others,  about  1787,  and  is  still  in  the  possession  of  the  Rogers  family. 
There  are  at  the  present  time  no  houses  on  the  west  side  of  Spruce  Creek  at  this  point ; 
but  an  examination  of  the  shore  furnishes  evidence  that  in  an  earlier  time,  probably 
from  the  beginnings  of  colonization  in  this  vicinity,  there  were  residences  here  and  there 
near  the  shore,  and  the  old  cellars  are  still  visible.  There  are  ten  or  twelve  cellars 
within  a  short  distance  of  Mr.  Screven's  place.  One  side  of  Mr.  Screven's  lot  was 
bounded  by  what  is  now  known  as  Broad  Cove,  and  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  cove  there 
was  formerly  a  tide  mill.  This  mill,  I  am  told,  was  abandoned  about  ninety  years  ago, 
but  the  old  mill  stones  remain,  and  are  almost  the  only  relics  of  early  Kittery  enterprise 
on  the  west  side  of  Spruce  Creek. 

*  By  a  resolution  adopted  in  the  Maine  House  of  Representatives  March  -3,  1848,  and  in 
the  Senate  on  the  same  date,  the  Governor  and  Council  were  "authorized  to  employ  a  suit- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  15 

several  "presentments"  by  the  Grand  Jury  was  the 
following : 

''We  present  William  Scrivine  for  not  frequenting  the 
public  meeting  according  to  law  on  the  Lord's  days/ 

'  'This  person  presented  is  remitted  because  per  evidence 
it  appears  that  he  usually  attends  Mr.  Moody's  meetings 
on  the  Lord's  days."'" 

At  a  court  held  at  Wells,  July  4,  1676,  Mr.  Screven  was 
appointed  a  constable  for  "the  lower  part  of  the  River." 
In  1678  and  in  1680,  he  was  appointed  to  serve  on  the 
Grand  Jury,  and  at  the  General  Assembly  held  at  York, 
June  30,  1681,  he  took  his  seat  as  a  deputy  from  Kittery. 

It  is  evident  from  these  records,  as  well  as  from  Church- 
wood's  letter,  that  in  his  religious  views  Mr.  Screven  was 
not  in  harmony  with  the  "Standing  Order."  He  was 
nevertheless  esteemed  as  a  citizen,  and  was  rapidly 
advanced  to  positions  of  official  trust. 

Churchwood's  letter  shows  that  at  the  time  to  which  it 
refers  there  were  Baptists  enough  in  Kittery— in  part 
doubtless  as  a  result  of  Mr.  Screven's  labors— to  warrant 
the  formation  of  a  Baptist  church.  The  nearest  church  of 
the  same  faith  and  order  was  that  in  Boston,  to  which  this 
letter  was  addressed,  and  which  was  organized  sixteen 
years  before.  Rev.  Isaac  Hull  was  the  second  pastor  of 
this  church.  After  hearing  Mr.  Screven  preach  the  breth- 
ren in  Boston  gave  him  a  license  dated  January  11, 1682.^ 

"To  all  whom  it  may  concern :— These  are  to  certify, 
that  our  beloved  brother,  William  Screven,  is  a  member 
in  communion  with  us,  and  having  had  trial  of  his  gifts 

able  person  to  transcribe  the  Eariy  Records  of  the  Province  of  Maine,  now  in  the  keeping 
of  the  clerk  of  the  Judicial  Courts  of  the  County  of  York,  to  be  deposited  in  the  office  of 
the  Secretary  of  State."  March  13,  1848,  Charles  Bradbury  of  Kennebunkport  was 
appointed  by  the  Governor,  with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the  Council,  to  make  this 
transcription.  The  work  was  completed  in  four  volumes,  and  deposited  in  the  office  of 
the  Secretary  of  State,  with  this  title  :  "Transcript  of  the  Early  Records  of  the  Prov- 
ince of  Maine."  A  manuscript  copy  of  this  "Transcript"  was  made  a  few  years  ago  for 
Hon.  James  P.  Baxter,  of  Portland,  and  the  references  in  this  volume  to  these  "Early 
Records"  are  to  Mr.  Baxter's  copy. 

'  Early  Records,  Vol.  3.  p.  296. 

*  Early  Records,  Vol.  3,  p.  315. 

»  Jan.  11,  1681,  Old  Style. 


16  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

amongst  us,  and  finding  him  to  be  a  man  whom  God  hath 
qualified  and  furnished  with  the  gift  of  his  Holy  Spirit, 
and  grace,  enabling  him  to  open  and  apply  the  word  of 
God,  which  may  be  through  the  blessing  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
useful  in  his  hand,  for  the  begetting  and  building  up 
souls  in  the  knowledge  of  God,  do  therefore  appoint, 
approve  and  also  encourage  him,  to  exercise  his  gift  in  the 
place  where  he  lives,  or  elsewhere,  as  the  providence  of 
God  may  cast  him ;  and  so  the  Lord  help  him  to  eye  his 
glory  in  all  things,  and  to  walk  humbly  in  the  fear  of  his 
name." 

This  certificate  was  signed  in  behalf  of  the  rest  by  Isaac 
Hull,  pastor  of  the  church,  and  John  Farnham. 

Meanwhile  the  little  company  of  Baptists  at  Kittery  were 
subjected  to  many  annoyances.  Under  date  of  January 
25,  1682  (New  Style),  Mr.  Churchwood  addressed  another 
letter  to  his  brethren  in  Boston  in  which  he  says  : 

'*!  thought  good  to  inform  you  that  since  our  beloved 
brother  Screven  went  from  us,  who,  I  trust  is  by  God's 
mercy  now  with  you,  by  his  long  absence  from  us,  has 
given  great  advantage  to  our  adversaries  to  triumph  and  to 
endeavor  to  beat  down  that  good  beginning  which  God,  by 
his  poor  instrument,  hath  begun  amongst  us ;  and  our 
magistrate,  Mr.  Hucke,^  is  almost  every  day  summoning 
and  threatening  the  people  by  fines  and  other  penalties,  if 
ever  they  come  to  our  meeting  any  more,  five  shillings  for 
every  such  offence. "  ^ 

Mr.  Churchwood  adds  that  he  also,  on  the  previous  day, 
was  brought  before  the  magistrate,  who  demanded  of  him 
how  he  spent  his  time.  In  the  presence  of  the  magistrate, 
also,  he  had  a  long  discussion  with  Mr.  Woodbridge,^  "our 

*  Francis  Hooke  of  Kittery.  He  was  a  son  of  Humphrey  Hooke,  an  alderman  of  the 
city  of  Bristol,  England,  and  lived  at  Winter  Harbor  in  Saco  before  moving'  to  Kittery 
Point.  He  was  justice  of  the  peace,  county  treasurer.  Judge  of  Probate  and  of  the  Court 
of  Common  Pleas. 

•  The  original  of  this  letter  is  in  the  possession  of  the  writer  of  this  volume. 

8  Greenleaf ,  in  his  Sketches  of  the  Ecclesiastical  History  of  the  State  of  Maine,  p.  29, 
note,  says  :  "Mr.  Backus  in  relating  the  account  of  an  ancient  Baptist  church  at  Kittery 
mentions  a  Mr.  Woodbridge  as  Priest  of  the  place.  This  was  in  1680.  But  we  have  no 
other  account  of  this  man."    In  the  appendix  to  Rev.  Dr.  Charles  A.  Briggs'  "American 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  17 

minister," concerning  infant  baptism,  etc.  Mr.  Screven  in 
a  short  time,  possibly  after  a  visit  to  Mr.  Miles,'  the  pastor 
of  the  Baptist  church  in  Swansea,  returned  to  Kittery,  and 
entered  upon  the  work  to  which  he  had  been  called  by  his 
brethren.  The  opposition,  which  during  his  absence  had 
been  manifested  towards  his  associates,  was  now  directed 
to  him,  and  from  an  entry  without  date  in  the  Records  of 
the  Province '  it  appears  that  he  was  summoned  in  a  short 
time  to  appear  before  the  provincial  authorities.  The 
record  is  as  follows  : 

"William  Screven,  upon  rumors  and  reports  from  a  com- 
mon fame  of  some  presumptuous,  if  not  blasphemous 
speeches  about  the  holy  ordinance  of  baptism  which  should 
pass  from  him.  Whereof  being  informed  we  sent  for  said 
Screven  by  a  special  warrant  to  York,  where,  upon  exam- 

Presbyterianism,"  I  find  the  following:  "Benjamin  Woodbridge  was  a  son  of  John 
Woodbridge,  pastor  of  Andover,  Mass. ;  brother  of  John  Woodbridge,  pastor  of  Wethers- 
field,  Conn.,  and  of  Timothy  Woodbridge,  pastor  of  Hartford,  Conn.  He  was  pastor  at 
Windsor,  Conn.,  from  1668-1680,  of  a  party  who  were  dissatisfied  with  Mr.  Chauncy,  who 
had  been  called  by  the  majority  of  the  church.  They  were  both  dismissed  by  order  of 
the  court.  The  two  parties  then  united  in  one  church.  He  is  probably  the  Mr.  Wood- 
bridge  mentioned  in  a  letter  of  Joshua  Moody  from  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  in  1683.  It  is 
probable  that  he  supplied  that  church  during  the  troubles  of  its  pastor  with  the  arbitrary 
authorities.  He  supplied  the  church  at  Bristol  from  1684-86,  but  the  people  could  not 
unite  upon  him.  (Collections  of  the  Mass.  Hist.  Soc.  IV.,  Vol.  8,  pp.  463,  651-655;  Contri- 
butions of  the  Ecclesiastical  History  of  Connecticut,  New  Haven,  1861,  p.  513.)  He  was 
again  supply  at  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  in  1690."  Dr.  Briggs  adds  a  letter  from  Mr.  Wood- 
bridge  to  some  English  Bishop  written  at  Portsmouth,  April  2,  1690.  This  letter  was 
discovered  by  Dr.  Briggs  in  the  summer  of  1884  in  the  Rolls  Office,  London.  Rev.  E.  S. 
Stackpole,  D.  D.,  in  his  "Old  Kittery  and  her  Families"  (1903),  p.  189,  says:  "The  next 
minister  we  read  of  in  Kittery  was  Benjamin  Woodbridge  in  1688-9.  He  was  a  son 
of  Rev.  John  Woodbridge  of  Andover,  Mass."  Mr.  Churchwood's  letter  shows  that  Mr. 
Woodbridge  was  in  Kittery  quite  a  number  of  years  earlier. 

'  Churchwood,  in  the  above  letter,  says  Mr.  Hooke  referred  to  Mr.  Miles  in  this  way  : 
"Behold  your  great  Doctor,  Mr.  Miles  of  Swanzey,  for  he  now  leaves  his  profession  and 
is  come  away,  and  will  not  teach  his  people  any  more,  because  he  is  likely  to  perish  for 
want ;  and  his  gathered  church  and  people  will  not  help  him."  Churchwood  replied  that 
this  "was  a  great  untruth,"  and  he  was  right.  Rev.  John  Miles  in  1667,  by  the  Act  of 
Uniformity,  was  ejected  from  the  living  of  Ilston  in  Wales.  Like  other  Baptists  under 
the  Protectorate,  he  officiated  as  a  preacher  in  one  of  the  state  churches,  although  he  was 
pastor  of  a  Baptist  church.  Backus  speaks  of  him  as  "father  of  the  Baptist  churches  in 
Wales,  which  began  in  1649."  He  and  his  Baptist  friends,  bringing  with  them  their 
church  records,  came  to  Massachusetts  in  1663  and  located  at  a  place  to  which  they  gave 
the  name  of  their  old  home  in  Wales.  Miles  was  made  pastor  of  the  church,  and  there  he 
remained  until  his  death  in  1683.  He  was  distinguished  for  his  learning  and  piety,  and 
Backus,  writing  in  1777,  nearly  a  century  after  his  death,  says,  "His  memory  is  still  pre- 
cious among  us." 

=  Vol.  4.  p.  254. 
3 


18  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

ination,  he  did  not  absolutely  deny  his  charge,  but  after  it 
was  proved  he  seemed  to  own  and  justify  the  matter  of 
his  speeches.  In  his  second  charge,  though  he  positively 
denied  the  first  about  his  child,  for  infant  baptism  he  said 
was  an  ordinance  of  the  devil,  as  the  testimonies  declare, 
he  replied  that  he  conceived  it  no  ordinance  of  God,  but 
an  invention  of  man.  What  was  it?— and  put  us  to  prove 
by  any  positive  command  in  the  Gospel,  or  Scriptures,  that 
there  was  infant  baptism,  and  according  to  our  under- 
standings he  endeavored  to  make  good  the  matter  of  his 
words,  and  to  put  the  manner  of  them  into  a  smoother 
dress,  mincing  the  matter  as  Edw.  Rishworth^  told  him; 
whose  reply  was,  that  mincing  was  to  put  it  in  better 
terms  than  it  deserved,  charging  Mr.  Hooke  with  preju- 
dice, who  brought  him  thither,  and  desired  not  to  be 
judged  by  him.  After  some  further  discourse  we  required 
said  Screven  to  give  security  sufficient  to  the  treasurer  of 
the  Province  of  a  bond  of  one  hundred  pounds  to  answer 
his  charge  at  the  next  Court  of  Pleas  holden  for  this  Prov- 
ince, or  we  must  make  him  his  mittimus,  and  send  him 
to  the  jail:  which  said  Screven  refusing,  accordingly  was 
done." 

How  long  Mr.  Screven  remained  in  jail  we  are  not 
informed.  April  12,  1682,  he  was  brought  before  the 
Court  at  York,  and  the  examination  resulted  as  follows: 

"This  Court  having  considered  the  offensive  speeches 
of  William  Screven,  viz.,  his  rash,  inconsiderate  words 
tending  to  blasphemy,  do  adjudge  the  delinquent  for  his 
offence  to  pay  ten  pounds  into  the  treasury  of  the  county 
or  province.  And  further,  the  Court  doth  further  dis- 
charge the  said  Screven  under  any  pretence  to  keep  any 
private  exercise  at  his  own  house  or  elsewhere,  upon  the 
Lord's  days,  either  in  Kittery  or  any  other  place  within 

'  Edward  Rish worth,  who  at  Exeter,  N.  H.,  married  the  eldest  daughter  of  Rev.  John 
Wheelwright,  removed  to  Wells  in  1643-4,  where  he  was  appointed  by  Gov.  Gorges  to 
allot  lands  to  settlers.  He  removed  to  York  in  1647.  From  October,  1651,  to  June. 
1686,  except  in  1668-69,  when  the  records  were  removed  to  Boston,  he  held  the  office  of 
Recorder,  or  Register  of  Deeds.  He  was  Councillor  and  Secretary  of  the  Province  in  1680, 
and  deputy  to  the  General  Court  from  York  thirteen  years.  He  died  in  1691.  Maine 
Historical  Magazine,  Vol.  8,  p.  58. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  19 

the  limits  of  this  province,  and  is  for  the  future  enjoined 
to  observe  the  pubHc  worship  of  God  in  our  public  assem- 
blies upon  the  Lord's  days  according  to  the  laws  here 
established  in  this  Province,  upon  such  penalties  as  the 
law  requires  upon  his  neglect  of  the  premises."^ 

Mr.  Screven  seems  to  have  paid  no  heed  to  this  order, 
and  his  case  was  brought  before  a  General  Assembly  of 
the  province  held  at  York,  June  28,  1682.  The  record  of 
the  action  is  as  follows : 

"William  Screven,  appearing  before  this  Court  and 
being  before  convicted  of  the  contempt  of  his  Majesty's 
authority,  by  refusing  to  submit  himself  to  the  sentence  of 
the  former  Court  prohibiting  his  public  exercises,  refer- 
ring to  some  irreligious  speeches  uttered  by  him,  and  upon 
examination  before  this  Court  declaring  his  resolution  still 
to  persist  in  the  same  course,  the  Court  tendered  him  lib- 
erty to  return  home  to  his  family,  in  case  he  would  forbear 
such  kind  of  disorderly  and  turbulent  practices,  and  amend 
for  the  future.  But  he  refusing,  the  Court  required  him 
to  give  bond  for  his  good  behavior,  and  to  forbear  such 
contemptuous  behavior  for  the  future,  and  ordered  that 
the  delinquent  should  stand  committed  until  the  judg- 
ment of  this  Court  herein  be  fulfilled.  After  which  said 
Screven  coming  into  the  Court,  did,  in  the  presence  of  the 
said  Court,  and  president,  promise  and  engage  to  depart 
out  of  this  Province  within  a  very  short  time." " 

It  is  evident  from  these  words  that  Screven  and  his 
associates  had  now  come  to  the  conclusion  that  if  at 
Kittery  they  could  not  have  freedom  to  worship  God 
according  to  the  dictates  of  their  consciences,  they  must 
seek  that  freedom  elsewhere.  But,  as  yet,  they  had  no 
church  organization,  and  it  was  evidently  deemed  desir- 
able that  such  an  organization  should  be  effected  before 
their  departure,  and  while  they  could  have  the-  assistance 
of  their  Boston  brethren.  Accordingly  Sept.  13,  1682,  Mr. 
Screven  sent  a  letter  to  the  Baptist  church  in  Boston, 

'  Early  Records,  Vol.  4,  p.  261. 

*  Early  Records,  Vol.  4,  p.  23.  ' 


20  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

requesting  the  church  to  send  its  pastor  and  delegates  to 
aid  in  the  organization  of  a  church.    In  this  letter  he  said  : 

"To  Thomas  Skinner,  Boston,  for  the  church:  Dearly- 
beloved  brethren  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  King  of 
saints.  I  and  my  wife  salute  you  with  our  Christian  love 
in  our  Lord  Jesus,  hoping  through  grace  these  few  lines 
will  find  you  in  health  of  body  and  mind.  Blessed  be  God 
for  Jesus  Christ,  in  whom  he  is  pleased  to  account  his 
saints  meet  to  be  partakers  of  the  blessed  rest  provided 
for  them  in  his  mansion-house  eternally  in  the  heavens. 
That  will  be  a  happy  day  when  all  the  saints  shall  join 
together  in  sounding  of  his  praise.  The  good  Lord  enable 
us  to  prepare  for  that  blessed  day.  To  that  end,  brethren, 
let  us  pray,  every  one  himself,  for  himself,  and  for  one 
another,  that  God  would  please  to  search  our  hearts  and 
reins,  so  as  that  we  may  walk  with  God  here,  and  here- 
after dwell  with  him  in  glory." 

Mr.  Screven  then  refers  to  the  fact  that  his  mother-in- 
law  had  become  a  Baptist ;  ^  and  expresses  the  desire  that 
the  pastor  of  the  church  in  Boston,  with  other  delegates, 
would  visit  Kittery,  and  assist  in  the  organization  of  a 
church  and  in  the  ordination  of  its  pastor. 

To  this  request  the  church  acceded  and  the  pastor  of  the 
church.  Rev.  Isaac  Hull,  and  two  of  his  brethren,  Thomas 
Skinner  and  Philip  Squire,  made  their  way  to  Kittery. 
From  the  records  of  the  First  Baptist  church  in  Boston, 
we  have  the  following  information  concerning  the  organ- 
ization of  the  Kittery  church. 

^  The  records  of  the  church  in  Boston  show  that  on  the  seventeenth  day  of  the  tenth 
month,  1681,  a  little  more  than  six  months  after  the  baptism  of  her  daughter  Bridget,  wife 
of  William  Screven,  Mrs.  Mary  Cutts,  widow  of  Robert  Cutts  (who  died  the  last  of  June, 
1674),  was  baptized  in  Boston  and  united  with  the  Baptist  church  in  Boston.  On  the  same 
day  Leonard  Drowne  of  Kittery  was  baptized.  Five  additional  residents  of  Kittery,  viz., 
George  Litten,  Timothy  Davis,  Wm.  Addams,  Humphrey  Axall  and  John  Morgradge  were 
baptized  and  received  as  members  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Boston  on  the  twentieth  day 

of  the  twelfth  month,  1681.     In  July,  1682,  four  others, Landall,  Richard  Cutts, 

Sarah  Morgandy  and  Robert  Williams  of  Kittery  were  baptized  and  received  to  member- 
ship in  the  Boston  church.  Richard  Cutts  was  the  oldest  son  of  Robert  and  Mary  Cutts, 
and  a  brother  of  Mrs.  Screven.  Sarah  Morgandy— so  the  name  seems  to  be  written— 
was  probably  the  wife  of  John  Morgradge,  as  the  same  spelling,  Morgandy,  occurs  in 
Backus'  list  of  the  constituent  members  of  the  church,  while  in  the  Boston  records  his 
name  is  plainly  recorded  as  John  Morgradge. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  21 

"Upon  serious  and  solemn  consideration  of  the  church 
about  a  motion  or  request  made  by  several  members  that 
lived  at  Kittery  that  they  might  become  a  church  and  that 
they  might  proceed  therein  provided  they  were  such  as 
should  be  approved  for  such  a  foundation  work,  the 
church  gave  their  grant  and  at  the  time  appointed  did 
send  several  messengers  to  make  that  strict  inquiry  and 
examination  as  they  ought  in  such  a  case ;  who  at  their 
return  brought  the  copy  here  inserted  26th  of  7  month 
[Sept.  26th]  1682. 

"The  church  of  Christ  at  Boston  that  is  baptized  upon 
profession  of  faith  having  taken  into  serious  consideration 
the  request  of  our  brethren  at  Kittery  relating  to  their 
being  a  church  by  themselves  that  so  they  might  enjoy  the 
precious  ordinances  of  Christ  which  by  reason  of  distance 
of  habitation  they  but  seldom  could  enjoy  have  therefore 
thought  meet  to  make  choice  of  us  whose  names  are  under 
written  as  messengers  to  assist  them  in  the  same,  and 
coming  up  to  them  we  have  found  them  a  competent  num- 
ber and  in  the  same  faith  with  us,  for  upon  careful 
examination  of  them  in  matters  of  doctrine  and  practice 
and  so  finding  are  with  us  by  their  (we  hope)  conscientious 
acknowledgment  of  the  Confession  of  Faith  put  forth  by 
the  elders  and  brethren  of  the  churches  in  London  and  the 
county  in  England  dated  in  the  year  1682. 

"And  they  having  given  themselves  up  to  the  Lord  and 
to  one  another  in  a  solemn  covenant  to  walk  as  said  cove- 
nant may  express,  and  also  having  chosen  their  officers 
whom  they  with  us  have  appointed  and  ordained,  we  do 
therefore  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  and  by  the 
appointment  of  this  church  deliver  them  to  be  a  church  of 
Christ  in  the  faith  and  order  of  the  Gospel. 

"Signed  by  us  in  the  name  of  the  church  the  25th  of  7 

mo  [Sept.  25]  1682. 

Isaac  Hull, 
Thomas  Skinner. 
Philip  Squire." 

Isaac  Hull  became  pastor  of  the  church  probably  in 


22  HISTORY    OF    THE    BAPTISTS    IN    MAINE. 

1682/  Thomas  Skinner  was  an  elder  of  the  church ;  and 
Philip  Squire  was  the  lay  member  of  the  church,  who, 
with  Ellis  Callender,  erected  the  Baptist  meeting-house  in 
Boston.  The  articles  of  faith  adopted  by  the  Kittery 
church  were  the  same  evidently  as  were  published  anony- 
mously in  England  in  1677  "by  the  elders  and  brethren  of 
many  congregations  of  Christians  (baptized  upon  profes- 
sion of  faith)  in  London  and  the  Country.*'  They  were 
doubtless  isssued  from  time  to  time  subsequently— an 
adaptation  for  Baptist  churches  of  the  Westminster  Con- 
fession—and were  adopted  formally  in  1689  as  the  recog- 
nized expression  of  the  doctrinal  views  of  the  Baptists  of 
England. 

"A  copy  of  their  said  covenant : 

"We  whose  names  are  here  underwritten  do  solemnly 
and  on  good  consideration  God  assisting  us  by  his  grace 
give  up  ourselves  to  the  Lord  and  to  one  another  in  sol- 
emn covenant,  wherein  we  do  Covenant  and  promise 
to  walk  with  God  and  one  with  another  in  a  due  and 
faithful  observance  of  all  his  most  holy  and  blessed  com- 
mandments, ordinances  and  institutions  or  appointments 
revealed  to  us  in  his  sacred  word  of  the  Old  and  New  Tes- 
tament and  according  to  the  grace  of  God  and  light  at 
present  through  his  grace  given  us  or  hereafter  he  shall 
please  to  discover  and  make  known  to  us  by  his  Holy 
Spirit  according  to  the  same  blessed  word  all  the  days 
of  our  lives ;  and  this  will  we  do  if  the  Lord  graciously 
please  to  assist  us  by  his  grace  and  Spirit  and  to  give  us 
divine  wisdom,  strength,  knowledge  and  understanding 
from  above  to  perform  the  same  without  which  we  can  do 
nothing.     John  15 .  4.     2.  Corinthians  3 .  5. 

"Signed  by  Wm.  Screven,  Elder,  Humphrey  Church- 
wood,  Deacon,  Robert  Williams,  John  Morgradge,  Richard 
Cutts,  Timothy  Davis,  Leonard  Drown,  Wm.  Adams,  Hum- 
phrey Axill,  George  Litten. 

*  The  History  of  the  First  Church  of  Boston,  by  Nathan  E.  Wood,  its  minister.  Phila- 
delphia, American  Baptist  Publication  Society,  1899,  p.  178. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  23 

,    "This  is  a  true  copy  compared  with  the  original  and 
owned  by  all  our  brethren  and  seven  sisters  as  attest 

Wm.  Screven  in 
behalf  of  the  rest. ' ' 

It  has  been  supposed  that  Mr.  Screven  and  his  associates 
left  Kittery  not  long  after  the  organization  of  the  church. 
Time,  however,  would  be  required  for  the  consideration  of 
a  desirable  location,  as  well  as  for  the  disposal  of  prop- 
erty,^ and  for  providing  means  of  transportation  when  the 
matter  of  location  had  been  settled.  It  is  certain  from  the 
Court  Records  that  Mr.  Screven  and  his  "Baptist  Com- 
pany" were  at  Kittery  as  late  as  Oct.  9,  1683,  for  under 
that  date,  in  the  record  of  a  court  held  at  Wells,  occurs 
this  entry: 

"Order  about  Will.  Screven.  William  Screven  being 
brought  before  the  court  for  not  departing  this  Province 
according  to  a  former  confession  of  Court,  and  his  own 
choice,  and  denying  now  to  fulfill  it,  this  Court  doth  declare 
that  the  sentence  of  the  General  Assembly  bearing  date 
the  28th  of  June  1682,  stands  good  and  in  full  force  against 
the  said  WilHam  Screven  during  the  Court's  pleasure."" 

This  order  does  not  seem  to  have  hastened  the  departure 
of  Screven  and  his  associates.  At  the  court  held  at  Wells, 
May  27,  1684,  this  action  was  taken  : 

"An  order  to  be  sent  for  William  Screven  to  appear 
before  the  General  Assembly  in  June  next."'' 

'  Robert  Screven,  son  of  Rev.  William  Screven,  was  a  resident  of  Kittery  in  1704,  and 
Nov.  20, 1704,  as  the  attorney  of  his  father,  sold  the  latter's  "homestead. "  The  deed  locates 
the  homestead  on  "Crooked  Lane  near  adjacent  unto  Mr.  Robert  Cutts' dwelling  house," 
"land  containing  about  half  an  acre.  When  Robert  Screven  sold  the  homestead,  it  was 
occupied  by  Rev.  John  Newmarch,"  minister  of  said  town.  It  was  the  tract  of  land  con- 
veyed to  Mr.  Screven  by  Mr.  Richard  Cutts.  Mr.  Screven's  brother-in-law,  Robert  Cutts, 
lived  in  what  is  now  known  as  the  Whipple  house,  opposite  the  marine  barracks  of  the 
United  States  Navy  Yard  at  Kittery.  Mr.  Screven's  house  accordingly,  after  his  removal 
from  his  Spruce  Creek  place,  stood  "where  now  stands  the  summer  cottage  of  William 
B.  Keen  of  Maiden,  Mass.  Mrs.  Keen,  who  is  a  native  of  Kittery,  remembers  when  the 
old  two-story  house  was  torn  down,  and  says  the  doorstep  of  the  old  house  is  under  the 
piazza  at  the  west  end  of  the  cottage.  It  is  also  a  tradition  in  Kittery  that  this  old  house 
contained  loopholes  for  musketry."  For  a  more  extended  statement  see  a  paper  read 
by  the  writer  before  the  Maine  Historical  Society  Dec.  8,  1893,  and  printed  in  the 
Collections  and  Proceedings  of  the  Society,  Vol.  5,  p.  282. 

'  Early  Records,  Vol.  4,  p.  295. 

»  Early  Records,  Vol.  4.  p.  173. 


24  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

As  no  further  citation  for  Mr.  Screven  appears  in  the 
Court  Records,  it  is  probable  that  he  and  his  company  had 
made  all  their  preparations  for  removal,  and,  before  the 
time  of  the  meeting  of  the  General  Assembly  arrived,  had 
left  their  homes  on  the  Piscataqua  for  a  new  settlement, 
where  they  could  enjoy  undisturbed  freedom  to  worship 
God  in  accordance  with  their  religious  convictions.  ^ 

The  place  selected  for  the  settlement  was  on  the  Cooper 
river,  not  far  from  the  present  site  of  Charleston,  South 
Carolina.  Mr.  Screven  called  the  name  of  this  settlement 
Somerton.  It  is  from  this  fact  that  an  inference  has  been 
drawn  with  reference  to  Mr.  Screven's  home  in  England. 
Ivimey^  says  that  in  1655  Rev.  Henry  Jessey,  a  Baptist 
minister  of  London,  was  invited  to  visit  his  brethren  in 
Bristol.  Baptist  principles  he  found  had  spread  into  many 
adjacent  parts,  and  congregations  in  Wells,  Cirencester, 
Somerton,  Chard,  Taunton,  Honiton,  Exeter,  Dartmouth, 
Plymouth,  Lyme,  Weymouth  and  Dorchester  were  also 
visited.  In  the  following  year  these  churches  asserted 
their  agreement  in  a  common  declaration  of  faith,  entitled, 
'  'A  Confession  of  Faith  of  several  churches  in  the  county 
of  Somerset  and  in  the  counties  near  adjacent."  The 
Confession  was  signed  by  twenty-five  persons,  ministers 
and  laymen  in  behalf  of  the  whole,  and  among  the  signa- 
tures is  that  of  William  Screven  of  Somerton.  It  has  been 
thought^  that  this   William   Screven  was  the  one   who 

^  A  William  Screven  still  remained  at  Kittery.  There  are  several  references  to  him  in 
the  "York  Deeds."  In  Book  V.,  Part  I.,  Folio  75,  William  Screven  is  a  witness  to  a  docu- 
ment dated  April  18,  1692.  At  a  court  held  at  York  Oct.  6,  1691  (Book  V.,  Part  II.,  Folio 
12),  William  Screven,  with  two  others,  was  appointed  to  view  certain  bounds.  At  a 
court  held  at  York  April  4,  1693  (Part  II.,  Folio  18),  William  Screven,  with  Richard  Cutts, 
was  fined  for  non-appearance  on  jury.  In  the  record  of  the  court  held  at  York  July  4, 
1693  (Part  II.,  Folio  19),  William  Screven  appears  as  foreman  of  the  Grand  Jury.  As 
William  Screven,  who  went  to  South  Carolina,  married  Bridget  Cutts  July  23,  1674,  I  am 
inclined  to  believe  that  this  William  Screven  was  a  son  of  the  minister  by  a  former  wife. 

*  History  of  the  English  Baptists,  Vol.  2,  p.  521. 

^  Newman,  A  History  of  the  Baptist  Churches  in  the  United  States,  p.  218,  inclines  to 
this  view.  "It  is  probable,"  he  says,  "that  most  or  all  of  those  who  joined  in  the  Kittery 
organization  had  been  members  of  Baptist  churches  in  England.  It  is  highly  probable 
that  the  pastor  of  the  Kittery  church  is  identical  with  the  William  Screven,  who,  as  a 
representative  of  the  Somerton  church,  was  among  the  signers  of  the  Confession.  .  .  . 
It  is  almost  certain  that  he  was  a  member  of  the  Somerton  church." 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BAPTISTS    IN    MAINE.  25 

organized  the  church  at  Kittery  and  established  the  colony 
at  Somerton,  South  Carolina ;  but  the  fact  that  the 
William  Screven  who  went  from  Kittery  to  South  Carolina 
was  admitted  to  the  Baptist  church  in  Boston  by  baptism 
makes  it  plain  that  Screven  was  not  a  Baptist  church 
member  before  coming  to  this  country.  It  is  possible 
that  the  William  Screven  who  signed  the  Confession  of 
1656  may  have  been  his  father,  and  the  fact  that  he  gave 
the  name  of  Somerton  to  his  settlement  on  the  Cooper 
river  in  South  Carolina  affords  at  least  a  plausible  ground 
for  such  an  inference. 

It  has  been  supposed  that  the  Baptist  church  in  Kittery 
was  transferred  from  Maine  to  South  Carolina.  If  this 
was  not  the  fact,  another  church  was  organized  by  Mr. 
Screven  and  his  company  after  their  arrival  in  South 
Carolina.  The  church  thus  transferred,  or  reorganized,^ 
became  the  first  of  all  the  Baptist  churches  in  the  South. 

Charleston  had  begun  to  attract  colonists  about  ten  years 
before  Mr.  Screven  and  his  company  established  them- 
selves at  Somerton.  Its  facilities  for  commerce  did  not 
escape  the  attention  of  these  colonists  from  Maine ;  and 
before  the  year  1693,  the  larger  portion  of  the  members  of 
the  church  had  removed  from  Somerton  to  "Charles- 
Town."  It  became  necessary,  therefore,  that  the  meet- 
ings of  the  church  should  be  transferred  thither  also,  and 
in  1699,  or  1700,  a  house  of  worship  was  erected  on  the  lot 
of  land  on  which  the  First  Baptist  church  in  Charleston 
now  stands.  Mr.  Screven  at  this  time  was  more  than 
seventy  years  of  age,  and  he  resigned  his  pastoral  office, 
although  he  did  not  wholly  withdraw  from  ministerial 
service.  Indeed,  in  1706,  he  was  invited  to  take  the 
pastoral  oversight  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Boston.  He 
was  at  first  inclined  to  accede  to  this  request,  but  just  at 

'  The  First  Baptist  church  in  Charleston  celebrated  its  two  hundredth  anniversary 
Nov.  21-25.  1883.  It  was  supposed  that  Mr.  Screven  left  Kittery  in  1682  or  early  in  1683, 
an  earlier  date  than  the  "Early  Records"  show.  The  proceedings  at  the  celebration 
were  published  in  a  volume  of  351  paees,  entitled  "Two  Centuries  of  the  First  Baptist 
Church  of  South  Carolina.  1683-1883,  with  Supplement.  Edited  by  H.  A.  Tupper,  D.  D. 
Baltimore,  R.  H.  Woodward  and  Company,  1889." 


26  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

this  time  his  successor  in  the  pastorate  at  Charleston  died, 
and  receiving  a  call  from  the  church  to  return  and  resume 
his  pastoral  labors  with  them  he  felt  that  he  could  not 
decline.  He  accordingly  sent  to  the  church  in  Boston  the 
following  letter,  dated  June  2,  1707 : 

"Dearly  beloved,  this  may  inform  you  that  I  have  many 
thoughts  of  heart  about  you,  and  am  much  concerned  for 
you  ;  and  hope  I  may  say,  my  prayers  are  to  God  for  you. 
Though  I  am  not  with  you,  nor  can  I  come  as  I  was 
inclined  to  do,  our  help  being  taken  from  us :  for  our 
minister  who  came  from  England  is  dead,  and  I  can  by  no 
means  be  spared.  I  must  say  it  is  a  great  loss,  and  to  me 
a  great  disappointment,  but  the  will  of  the  Lord  is  done. 
I  have  longed  to  hear  that  you  were  supplied  with  an  able 
minister,  who  might  break  the  bread  of  life  among  you ; 
but  if  the  Lord  do  not  please  to  supply  you  in  the  way  you 
expected,  your  way  will  be  to  improve  the  gifts  you  have 
in  the  church.  Brother  Callender  and  Joseph  Russell  I 
know  have  gifts  that  may  tend  to  edification,  if  improved. 
I  think  you  should  call  one  or  both  of  them  to  it." 

The  church  in  Boston  acted  upon  this  suggestion,  and 
called  Mr.  Callender.  It  is  not  thought  that  Mr.  Screven 
removed  his  family  to  Charleston  ;  but  his  labors  in  behalf 
of  the  church  which  he  had  formed,  and  to  which  he  had 
given  so  much  of  the  strength  of  the  best  years  of  his  life, 
were  continued,  as  he  was  able,  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  at  Georgetown,  October  10,  1713,  at  the  com- 
pletion of  the  eighty-fourth  year  of  his  age.  Pure  in  life, 
affectionate  in  disposition,  abundant  in  every  good  work, 
honored  and  revered  by  all,  he  commended  the  Gospel 
which  he  preached,  and  came  to  the  "grave  in  a  full  age, 
like  as  a  shock  of  corn  cometh  in  its  season."  His  tomb 
on  Screven  St.,  Georgetown,  is  still  to  be  seen,  and  his 
memory  is  lovingly  cherished,  not  only  by  a  numerous 
posterity— he  had  eleven  children— but  by  the  Baptists  of 
South  Carolina,  and  of  all  the  southern  States."  ^ 

'  Mrs.  Screven's  mother,  the  widow  of  Robert  Cutts,  married  Capt.  Francis  Champer- 
nowne  of  Kittery,  one  of  the  most  prominent  of  the  Kittery  colonists  and  a  descendant  of 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  27 

many  of  the  moat  prominent  families  in  the  West  of  England,  his  father,  Arthur  Cham- 
pemowne,  being  a  first  cousin  of  Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert  and  Sir  Walter  Raleigh.  After 
the  death  of  her  husband  in  the  spring  of  1687,  Mrs.  Champernowne  made  her  way  to 
South  Carolina  and  joined  the  Screvens  in  their  new  home.  The  descendants  of  Rev. 
William  Screven  are  very  numerous  in  South  Carolina  and  Georgia.  Gen.  James  Screven, 
bom  in  1738,  a  great  grandson,  was  one  of  a  committee  of  thirty  appointed  July  27,  1774, 
at  a  meeting  of  the  inhabitants  of  Georgia,  at  the  Exchange  in  Savannah,  who  drew  up 
resolutions  not  to  import  or  use  British  manufactures  till  the  rights  of  the  colonists 
should  be  restored.  This  committee  reported  the  resolutions  at  a  meeting  held  August 
10,  1774.  The  resolutions  are  given  in  Force's  American  Archives,  fourth  series,  volume 
1,  pages  638  and  700.  James  Screven  was  a  member  of  the  Provincial  Congress  which 
met  July  4,  1775,  and  as  brigadier  general  in  the  Georgia  militia,  having  served  from 
1775,  he  was  killed  at  Medway  church  Nov.  24,  1778.  Benjamin  Screven  was  a  captain  of 
South  Carolina  dragoons  in  1779.  Rev.  Charles  O.  Screven,  a  son  of  Gen.  James  Screven, 
was  graduated  at  Brown  University  in  1795,  received  the  degree  of  doctor  of  divinity  in 
1826  and  died  in  1830.  He  had  a  classmate  at  Brown  University,  Thomas  Screven,  and 
both  were  classmates  of  Ezekiel  Whitman,  LL.  D.,  of  this  State,  who  was  a  member  of 
the  seventeenth  Congress  from  Maine,  also  Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Maine, 
and  died  in  1866. 


CHAPTER  III. 


The  Reappearance  of  Baptist  Views. 

For  four-score  years  after  the  removal  of  William 
Screven  and  his  associates  from  Kittery,  the  Province  of 
Maine  was  frequently  disturbed  by  hostilities  occasioned 
by  the  encroachments  of  the  French  or  the  uprising  of  the 
Indians.  These  hostilities  greatly  retarded  the  growth  of 
the  settlements,  and  when  peace  at  length  came  with  the 
close  of  the  French  war,  in  1763,  the  population  of  the 
province  did  not  exceed  24,000.  During  this  time  no 
attempt  was  made  to  organize  another  Baptist  church 
within  the  limits  of  the  province.  Baptists  were  regarded 
as  fanatics,  and  their  doctrines  as  destructive  to  the  wel- 
fare of  both  society  and  religion.  "We  can  hardly  imag- 
ine now,  perhaps  better  not  try  to  imagine,  to  what 
obloquy,  and  hatred,  and  persecutions,  men  and  women 
subjected  themselves  by  avowing  their  belief  in  Baptist 
doctrines,  or  even  showing  any  sympathy  with  those  who 
were  suspected  of  holding  Baptist  sentiments.  Living 
within  parish  lines  all  were  taxed  for  the  support  of  the 
parish  ministers,  whether  they  attended  upon  their  min- 
istrations or  not.  Protestations  against  the  injustice  of 
this  were  of  no  avail,  and  petitions  to  the  legislature,  or 
'general  court, '  for  religious  liberty  were  laid  aside  with 
contempt,  or  referred  to  committees  in  form,  only  to 
draw  forth  an  unfavorable  report,  with  a  recommenda- 
tion appended  that  the  prayer  of  the  petitioners  be  not 
granted.  The  controversy  was  long  and  severe,  and  yet 
with  no  lack  of  faith  on  the  part  of  the  non-conformists 
in  the  justice  of  their  cause,  or  that  finally  the  issue  would 
be  favorable  to  them."^ 

iRev.  W.  H.  Shailer,  D.  D.,  in  Centennial  Discourse  before  the  Maine  Baptist  Mission- 
ary Convention  at  Hallowell,  June  20,  1876.  , 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  29 

But  there  were  influences  at  work  which  resulted  in  the 
formation  of  two  Baptist  churches  in  the  Province  of 
Maine  shortly  before  the  Revolutionary  War.  May  9, 
1765,  a  Baptist  church  was  organized  in  Haverhill,  Mass. 
The  pastor  of  this  church,  Rev.  Hezekiah  Smith, ^  possessed 
in  an  eminent  degree  the  evangelistic  spirit.  His  commis- 
sion read,  "Go  ye,"  and  as  opportunity  offered  he  made 
his  way  into  the  "regions  beyond,"  declaring  to  crowds  of 
eager  hearers  the  glad  tidings  of  salvation  by  a  crucified 
Redeemer.  In  these  evangelistic  tours  he  visited  many 
towns  in  southern  New  Hampshire,  and  at  length  we  find 
him  in  the  Province  of  Maine.  In  his  diary  on  Tuesday, 
June  23,  1767,  having  preached  twice  on  the  preceding 
day,  once  in  Brentwood  and  once  in  Newmarket,  he 
entered  this  record:  "In  the  forenoon  at  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Hutchinson's  at  Lee,  from  Hos.  4. 17,  and  in  the  afternoon 
at  Mr.  Hyde's  in  Madbury,  from  John  9.7.  In  the  even- 
ing at  Dr.  Lord's  at  Berwick  from  Col.  1.9.'"^  No  report 
has  been  preserved  of  that  first  sermon  by  Hezekiah  Smith 
within  the  present  limits  of  the  State  of  Maine,  but  from 
the  text,  "For  this  cause  we  also,  since  the  day  we  heard 
of  it,  do  not  cease  to  pray  for  you,  and  to  desire  that  ye 
might  be  filled  with  the  knowledge  of  his  will  in  all  wis- 
dom and  spiritual  understanding,"  we  can  readily  infer 

'  Mr.  Smith  was  bom  in  Hampstead,  Long'  Island,  April  21,  1737.  Baptized  at  nineteen 
years  of  age  by  Dr.  Gano,  he  was  educated  at  Princeton  College,  graduating  in  1762  in 
the  same  class  with  James  Manning,  the  first  president  of  Brown  University.  After  his 
graduation  he  made  a  journey  through  the  southern  colonies,  and  was  ordained  as  an 
evangelist  by  the  Baptist  church  in  Charleston  founded  by  William  Screven.  Returning 
to  the  north  he  visited  Haverhill,  July  27,  1764,  and  here  in  the  following  year  a  church 
was  organized  of  which  he  became  pastor.  Dr.  Baldwin  said  of  him  :  "As  a  preacher 
Dr.  Smith  was  equalled  by  few.  His  subjects  were  well  chosen,  and  always  evangelical. 
His  voice  was  strong  and  commanding  and  his  manner  solemn  and  impressive.  He  was 
often  led  to  pour  the  balm  of  consolation  into  the  wounded  conscience,  but  the  general 
tenor  of  his  preaching  was  calculated  to  arouse  the  careless  and  secure.  In  stature  Dr. 
Smith  was  above  the  middling  size,  being  about  six  feet  in  height,  and  well  proportioned. 
His  countenance,  though  open  and  pleasant,  was  peculiarly  solemn  and  majestic.  In 
his  deportment  he  was  mild,  dignified  and  grave,  equally  distant  from  priestly  hauteur 
and  superstitious  reserve.  He  never  thought  religion  incompatible  with  real  politeness  ; 
hence  the  gentleman,  the  scholar  and  the  Christian  were  happily  blended  in  his 
character."  Dr.  Smith  died  in  Haverhill  Jan.  24,  1805,  in  the  sixty-eighth  year  of  his 
age.  and  in  the  forty-second  of  his  ministry. 

'Chaplain  Smith  and  the  Baptists.    By  R.  A.  Guild,  pp.  117,  118. 


30  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

what  the  leading  thoughts  of  that  first  sermon  at  Berwick 
by  Mr.  Smith  must  have  been. 

Mr.  Smith's  diary  continues.  "Wed.  Preached  at 
Deacon  Kimball's  in  Kennebunk.  —  Thurs.  25.  Preached 
at  Freetown,  from  John  3.3.— Fri.  26.  At  Gorham-town, 
from  Isa.  55. 1.— Sat.  27.  Visited  some  in  Gorham.— Sab. 
28.  Preached  in  Gorham  meeting  house  a  sermon  from 
John  5.  25,  and  baptized  William  Cotton,  Mrs.  Morton  and 
Lydia  Dunn.— Mon.  29.  Went  to  Falmouth  and  gave  an 
exhortation  at  Mr.  Burnham's.^^Tues.  30.  Preached  a 
sermon  at  Gorham  from  Gal.  3 .  29,  and  baptized  John 
Cotton  and  Bryant  Morton,"  after  Mr.  Clark '^  had  preached 
from  Gen.  17.  7,  and  sprinkled  twenty-odd  children. —Wed. 
July  1.  Preached  at  Capt.  Lane's  from  1.  Cor.  9 .  24,  in 
the  forenoon,  and  then  baptized  Edward  Chapman,  John 
Lane  and  Aaron  Gould  in  Saco  River  by  the  Block  House.* 
After  baptizing,  I  preached  at  the  Block  House  from  Isa. 
3.10.11.  Lodged  that  night  at  Peter  Ayres.— Thurs.  2. 
Went  to  Massibeswick,^  to  Simeon  Coffin's  where  the  next 
day    I   preached   from    'Ye  have    robbed   me.'— Sat.    4. 

*  Concerning  this  visit  of  Mr.  Smith  to  Falmouth,  now  Portland,  Dr.  Deane  says  in  his 
Journal  (p.  322)  :  "Rev.  H.  Smith  and  Bumham  here.  Burnham  urged  me  to  invite  Smith 
to  preach,  which  I  refused  to  do." 

*  William  Cotton  and  John  Cotton  were  sons  of  Dea.  William  Cotton  of  Fabnouth. 
Bryant  Morton,  known  as  Capt.  Bryant  Morton,  was  a  selectman  in  1765.  In  1772  he  was 
a  member  of  the  Ckimmittee  of  Safety  and  CoiTespondence.  Dec.  31,  1774,  when  Gorham 
voted  to  adopt  the  association  agreement  of  the  Continental  Congress  and  a  committee 
was  chosen  to  see  that  the  plans  of  the  Continental  Congress  were  complied  with, 
Capt.  Morton  was  placed  at  the  head  of  the  committee.  At  the  same  meeting  Capt. 
Morton  was  chosen  a  delegate  to  the  Provincial  Congress.  He  was  also  a  delegate 
in  1776.  In  1777  he  was  a  representative  to  the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts.  His 
military  title  he  received  during  the  Revolution,  when  he  commanded  a  company  of 
eighty  men,  called  Seacoast  Guards,  stationed  at  Fort  Hancock,  Cape  Elizabeth,  now 
known  as  Fort  Preble.  After  the  Baptist  church  in  Gorham  gave  up  its  organization, 
Capt  Morton  identified  himself  with  the  Free  Will  Baptists.  If  the  Mrs.  Morton  whom 
Mr.  Smith  baptized  was  Capt.  Bryant  Morton's  wife,  it  must  have  been  his  first  wife 
Thankful,  and  the  mother  of  his  ten  children.  Capt.  Morton  married  a  second  wife  in 
1771.    See  McLellan's  History  of  Gorham,  pp.  680,  681. 

*  Gorham  at  this  time  was  without  a  settled  minister,  and  Mr.  Clark  was  probably  Rev. 
Ephraim  Clark  of  Cape  Elizabeth,  whose  pastorate  at  Cape  Elizabeth  was  from  May  21, 
1756,  to  Dec.  11,  1797. 

*  Possibly  at  Saco  Falls,  sometimes  called  the  Stone  Fort. 

*  Massabesic,  a  part  of  Philipstown,  afterward  incorporated  as  Waterborough.  It  took 
its  name  from  an  old  Indian  woman  who  lived  beside  the  pond  that  still  bears  her  name. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  31 

Preached  in  Philipstown  [Sanford]  meeting  house  from 
Jer,  3.22. —Sab.  5.  Preached  in  a  barn  in  Phihpstown, 
because  there  was  not  room  to  hold  the  people  in  the  meet- 
ing house,  and  likewise  because  the  barn  was  handiest  to 
the  river,  where  I  baptized  that  day  Simeon  Coffin  and 
Sarah  Coffin.  Preached  two  sermons  in  the  barn,  from 
John  15. 10.— Mon.  6.  Preached  in  Mr.  Emery's  pulpit  in 
Berwick  from  Heb.  2.3.— Tues.  7.  Preached  in  the  fore- 
noon, from  Gen.  28. 12,  at  Dr.  Knight's,  and  in  the  after- 
noon at  Dr.  Lord's  from  Jer.  31,  20."^ 

Mr.  Smith  preached  on  Thursday  and  Friday  at  Brent- 
wood, and  then  returned  home.  "The  Lord,"  he  says,  "I 
trust  was  with  me  through  the  whole  journey,  and  owned 
my  labors  much. "  A  report  of  his  labors  was  given  to  the 
Haverhill  church,  and  the  ten  persons  whom  the  pastor 
had  baptized  were  received  into  its  membership. 

In  Mr.  Smith's  diary  there  is  no  record  of  his  visiting 
the  Province  of  Maine  in  1768,  but  we  know  that  he  came 
hither.  The  journey  was  made  in  company  with  several 
of  the  members  of  the  Haverhill  church,  including  two  of 
its  deacons.  June  20,  1768,^  he  organized  a  Baptist  church 
in  Gorham.  Rev.  Josiah  Thatcher  was  at  that  time  the 
town  minister,  having  been  ordained  Oct.  28,  1767.  The 
members  of  the  new  church  now  declined  to  pay  the  min- 
isterial tax  for  Mr.  Thatcher's  support.  Bitter  opposition 
was  thus  awakened  and  suits  were  commenced  for  the 
purpose  of  coercing  payment.  The  Massachusetts  law  ^  at 
that  time  was  that  no  Baptists  were  to  be  exempted  from 
ministerial  taxes  in  the  places  where  they  lived,  "but  such 
whose  names  shall  be  contained  in  a  list  or  lists  to  be 
taken  and  exhibited  on  or  before  the  20th  of  July  annu- 
ally, to  the  assessors  of  such  town,  district,  precinct,  or 
parish,  and  signed  by  three  principal  members  of  the 
Anabaptist  church  to  which  he  or  they  belong,  and  the 
minister  thereof,  if  any  there  be :  who  shall  therein  cer- 

*  Guild's  Chaplain  Smith,  p.  118. 

'Backus'  History  of  the  Baptists  in  New  England.  Vol.  2  (Ed.  of  1871),  p.  179. 

'It  was  passed  Nov.  23,  1757,  and  was  in  force  thirteen  years. 


32  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

tify,  that  the  persons  whose  names  are  inserted  in  the 
said  Hst  or  lists  are  really  belonging  thereto,  that  they 
verily  believe  them  to  be  conscientiously  of  their  persua- 
sion, and  that  they  frequently  and  usually  attend  public 
worship  in  said  church  on  the  Lord's  days."^  Joseph 
Moody,  a  member  of  the  Gorham  church  living  in  Scar- 
borough, presented  to  the  parish  assessors  in  Gorham  the 
certificate  required  by  law.  Says  Backus  :  *  'Yet  distress 
was  still  made  upon  him  for  taxes  to  parish  worship.  For 
such  a  tax  of  about  six  dollars,  a  good  riding  beast  was 
taken  from  him  in  1771 ;  he  therefore  presented  proper 
vouchers  of  these  facts  to  the  Assembly  at  Boston,  Jan- 
uary 26,  1774,  with  a  petition,  that  like  the  good  Samar- 
itan, they  would  again  set  him  upon  his  own  beast.  A 
committee  was  sent  out  upon  it,  whose  report  was  to  dis- 
miss the  petition,  which  was  done."" 

A  few  days  after  the  organization  of  the  Gorham  church, 
Mr.  Smith  organized  a  Baptist  church  in  Berwick.  The 
first  entry  in  the  records^  of  this  church  under  date  of 
June  28,  1768,  when  the  church  was  organized,  is  as  fol- 
lows: 

"June,  1768. 

'  'Articles  of  Faith  adopted  by  the  First  Baptist  church 
of  Christ  in  Berwick  : 

'  'We,  the  underwriters,  concluding  it  expedient  to  unite 
as  Christian  brethren  in  a  particular  Baptist  church,  do 
jointly  as  such  profess  to  be  built  upon  the  foundation  of 
the  Apostles  and  Prophets,  Jesus  Christ  being  the  chief 
corner  stone.  This  we  profess  in  the  presence  of  God, 
angels  and  men,  and  do  mutually  declare  the  old  and  new 
Testaments  to  be  the  rule  of  our  faith  and  practice.  And 
the  doctrines  as  follows  to  be  by  us  maintained. 

"1.  That  there  is  but  one  God,  consisting  of  three 
persons.  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost ;  supreme,  over  all 

1  Backus'  History  of  the  Baptists  in  New  England  (Ed.  of  1871),  Vol.  2,  p.  141. 
*  Backus'  History  of  the  Baptists  in  New  England  (Ed.  of  1871),  Vol.  2,  p.  179. 
'The  original  records  are  not  in  existence.    In  a  book  bought  March.  1797,  there  are 
records,  copied  at  that  time,  to  Nov.  28, 1772.    The  next  record  is  under  date  Aug.  28, 1794. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  33 

blessed  forevermore ;  happy  in  himself  and  not  liable  to 
any  disappointment  in  any  of  his  everlastingly  intended 
operations. 

''2.  That  these  three  characters,  united  in  one,  do  act 
in  conjunction  to  promote  our  salvation.  The  elect  are  the 
Father's  gift  to  the  Son,  redeemed  from  death  and  hell  by 
his  active  and  passive  obedience ;  sanctified  by  the  Holy 
Ghost  and  made  fit  for  glory. 

"3.  That  there  is  but  one  mediator  between  God  and 
men,  the  man  Christ  Jesus. 

'  '4.  That  all  the  elect  were  personally  chosen  in  Christ 
before  the  foundation  of  the  world. 

"5.  That  in  Adam  all  the  human  race  fell  and  lost  their 
primitive  rectitude. 

'  *6.  That  supernatural  grace  is  absolutely  necessary  to 
render  our  persons  and  services  acceptable  in  the  sight  of 
God. 

"7.  That  baptism  by  immersion  and  partaking  of  the 
Lord's  Supper  are  to  be  complied  with  upon  a  satisfactory 
profession  of  faith  in  having  been  regenerated  or  renewed 
by  the  Holy  Ghost. 

"8.  We  acknowledge  the  authority  of  civil  government 
and  that  due  respect  and  obedience  ought  to  be  paid  to 
civil  officers. 

"9.  We  do  promise  that  through  the  assistance  of 
divine  grace  we  will  endeavor  to  perform  all  our  respec- 
tive duties  towards  God  and  each  other ;  and  practice  all 
the  ordinances  of  God ;  according  to  what  is  or  shall  be 
made  known  to  us  and  in  our  respective  places  to  exercise, 
practice  and  submit  unto  the  government  of  Christ  in  his 
church. 

"10.  We  do  declare  it  our  mind  that  none  are  qualified 
members  of  the  church  of  Christ  but  such  as  have  been 
wrought  upon  by  the  grace  of  God,  delivered  from  their 
sins  by  the  justifying  righteousness  of  Christ,  and  have 
had  the  evidence  in  their  lives  and  conversations  and 
have  made  a  profession  of  a  saving  interest  in  Christ, 

4 


34  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

and  have  been  baptized  by  immersion  in  the  name  of  the 
holy  Trinity. 

"11.  We  beHeve  that  the  imposition  or  non  imposition 
of  hands  upon  believers  after  baptism  is  not  essential  to 
church  communication,  but  where  the  image  of  Christ  is 
according  to  God's  word  and  the  persons  keeping  approved 
duties  as  the  gospel  directs  ever  complying  with  gospel 
order,  we  are  ready  to  hold  communion  with  all  such  walk- 
ing orderly  in  the  church  of  Christ.^ 

**12.  We  do  adopt  this  as  our  confession  of  faith  which 
in  a  judgment  of  charity  is  agreeable  to  the  word  of 
God :  viz. ,  the  confession  of  faith  put  forth  by  the  elders 
and  brethren  of  many  congregations  of  Christians  baptized 
upon  profession  of  faith  only  holding  the  imposition  or 
non-imposition  of  hands  as  already  mentioned." 

To  these  articles  the  names  of  the  seventeen  con- 
stituent members  of  the  church  are  appended :  Joshua 
Emery,"  John  Knight,    Wm.  Taft,  James  Lord,  Thomas 

'  Roger  Williams,  in  some  of  his  writings  (Bloudy  Tenent,  21,  Pub.  Narraganset  Club, 
III,  65,  Hireling  Ministry  6),  insisted  on  the  laying  on  of  hands  as  a  proper  sequel  of  bap- 
tism, and  a  sacrament  of  equal  importance.  Some  Baptists  in  England  had  adopted  the 
practice  as  one  required  in  Hebrews  6 :  1,  2.  The  First  Baptist  church  in  Providence 
adopted  it,  and  in  consequence  Mr.  Olney,  about  the  year  1652,  led  out  a  company  of  dis- 
senters, who  formed  another  church,  which  continued  until  1718.  Most  of  the  Baptist 
churches  in  Rhode  Island  adopted  the  practice,  and  made  it  a  condition  of  communion. 
Soon  after  President  Manning  came  to  Providence  as  the  head  of  the  college  he  was 
invited  to  preach.  He  was  also  asked  to  partake  in  the  communion.  There  were  those 
who  protested,  but  a  large  majority  of  the  church  decided  to  allow  the  president  the  priv- 
ilege of  occasional  communion.  He  also  prevailed  upon  the  church  to  admit  other  Bap- 
tists to  occasional  communion  with  them,  but  they  admitted  none  as  members  until  after 
his  death.  Rev.  Hezekiah  Smith  of  Haverhill  was  a  friend  of  Manning,  evidently  shared 
his  views,  and  his  hand  is  doubtless  to  be  recognized  in  the  framing  of  these  articles. 
See  Backus'  History  of  the  Baptists  of  New  England,  Vol.  2,  p.  493  (Weston's  Ed.),  and 
also  Two  Hundred  and  Fiftieth  Anniversary  of  the  Formation  of  the  First  Baptist 
Church  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  pp.  40,  45. 

^"A  prominent  circumstance  connected  with  the  introduction  of  Baptist  sentiments 
into  Berwick  was  an  incident  in  the  life  of  Mr.  Joshua  Emery.  Previous  to  the  visits  of 
Mr.  Smith,  Mr.  Emery  had  separated  from  the  Congregational  connection.  Although 
esteemed  a  man  of  eminent  talents,  and  a  Christian  sound  in  orthodoxy,  yet,  on  account 
of  his  dissenting  views,  he  obtained  but  Uttle  favor  with  the  community.  By  way  of 
irony  and  ridicule  he  was  called  a  New  Ldght.  As  God  directed  Cornelius  to  send  for 
Peter  and  at  the  same  time  was  instructing  Peter  to  comply  with  the  summons,  so  now 
the  Holy  Spirit  was  directing  the  steps  of  Mr.  Smith  this  way,  and  also  led  Mr.  Emery 
to  invite  him  to  visit  Berwick  ;  subsequently,  Mr.  E.  became  a  principal  actor  in  the  Bap- 
tist cause."   Rev.  E.  Worth,  Centennial  Discourse,  p.  11.    Mr.  Emery  was  never  ordained. 

'According  to  the  records  of  the  Second  church  in  Berwick  (Congregational),  John 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  35 

Jellison,  Richard  Thurrell,  Abraham  Lord,  jr.,  Richard 
Dean,  Ephraim  Blaisdell,  James  Jackson,  John  Gowen, 
Adah  Emery,  Mary  Knight,  in  the  record  "the  first  Bap- 
tist who  ever  resided  in  Berwick,"  Sarah  Lord,  Elizabeth 
Lord,  Mary  Grant, ^  Mary  Jackson. 

After  the  above  entry  appears  the  following  covenant : 
"Being  incorporated  into  a  Baptist  church  of  Christ;  by 
considering  and  approving  the  Baptist  Confession  of  Faith, 
through  examining  the  Scriptures,  we  find  them  point- 
ing out  that  way  of  worship  prescribed  by  Christ  and  his 
apostles  ;  we  do  heartily  comply  with  them  desiring  these 
truths  may  spread  far  and  wide.  And  as  we  profess  this, 
we  promise  to  walk  according  thereto  as  God  shall  enable 
us,  and  that  we  will  help  to  support  and  assist  in  every- 
thing conducive  to  the  spread  of  the  gospel  in  this  place 
as  God  shall  help  us,  bearing  our  part  of  all  necessary 
charges  that  may  arise  in  this  church  of  Christ  hereafter. ' ' 

The  following  were  chosen  officers  of  the  church  :  Joshua 
Emery,  elder ;  John  Knight,  deacon  ;  John  Knight,  clerk ; 
Joshua  Emery  as  a  general  moderator.  The  record  closes 
with  the  statement,  "The  Rev.  Hezekiah  Smith  and  two 
of  his  members  being  present,  the  whole  was  concluded 
with  their  approbation  and  others." 

Mr.  Smith  and  his  associates  returned  to  Haverhill  and 
reported  to  the  church  the  results  of  their  visit.  July  8, 
1768,  the  Haverhill  church  '  'Voted  to  approve  and  confirm 
the  proceedings  of  our  pastor,  Deacon  [Jacob]  Whittier, 
Dea.  [Samuel]  Shepard  and  Elder  Greenleaf ,  in  dismissing 
members  from  this  church  and  constituting  two  Baptist 
churches,  one  in  Gorham  and  the  other  in  Berwick." 

One  of  the  first  acts  of  the  new  church  is  thus  recorded  : 
"Sent  to  the  churches  in  Massachusetts  for  their  fellow- 
Knight  was  chosen  deacon  of  that  church  July,  1763,  in  place  of  John  Shorey,  deceased. 
It  is  added  :  "Dea.  John  Knight  joined  the  Baptist  church."  He  resifsrned  his  deaconship 
in  the  Congregational  church  June  9,  1768. 

'  The  records  of  the  Second  Congregational  church  in  Berwick  have  this  entry  :  "Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Lord  asked  to  be  dismissed  to  the  Baptist  church  in  this  town.  Request  denied, 
it  being  a  society  with  which  we  are  not  in  communion  aa  a  regular  church."  This  was 
Sept.  27,  1769. 


36  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

ship  by  Joshua  Emery,  teacher."^  This  was  to  meet  a 
legal  requirement,  and  the  church  received  the  fellowship 
of  the  First  and  Second  Baptist  churches  in  Boston  and 
the  First  Baptist  church  in  Haverhill.  In  August  follow- 
ing the  church  appointed  J.  Knight,  J.  Emery,  W. 
Thurrell  and  J.  Lord  to  sign  the  certificates  required  by 
law  for  exemption  from  the  ministerial  tax,  and  the  first 
persons  who  received  such  certificates  are  recorded  as 
follows :  In  the  First  Parish,  Ebenezer  Dennett,  James 
Gray,  John  Gowen,  John  Emery ;  in  the  North  Parish, 
Gabriel  Hamilton,  Richard  Ricker,  George  Brown,  Abra- 
ham Lord.  But  the  members  of  the  Baptist  church  in 
Berwick,  like  those  in  Gorham,  were  not  allowed  to  avail 
themselves  of  the  exemption  which  the  law  provided. 
Backus  states  the  case  thus  : 

"Mr.  Joshua  Emery  was  their  teacher,  though  not 
ordained.  They  gave  certificates  according  to  law,  yet 
were  all  taxed  to  other  ministers,  and  John  Gowen  was 
imprisoned  therefor  in  December,  1769.  The  like  was 
done  to  Mr.  Emery  the  next  month,  and  he  sued  for 
recompense  in  both  cases,  but  they  were  delayed  till  July, 
1770,  when  Emery  asked  for  a  summons  to  bring  the 
collector  with  his  warrant.  The  judge  ordered  the  clerk 
to  give  one,  to  bring  the  collector  with  his  original  list. 
He  came  with  it,  but  not  the  warrant,  and  the  counsel  for 
the  defendant  said  there  could  be  no  trial  without  the 
warrant ;  and  the  case  was  turned  against  Emery.  He 
appealed  to  the  Superior  Court,  where  the  collector  was 
brought  with  his  warrant ;  but  then  he  swore  that  he  did 
not  take  Emery  as  a  prisoner.  Emery  told  the  Court  that 
he  did  take  him  and  carry  him  to  York,  and  held  him  as  a 
prisoner  thirty  hours,  and  requested  time  to  prove  it, 
either  now  or  at  the  next  term.  This  was  denied  him,  and 
judgment  was  given  against  him.  With  difficulty  he 
obtained  a  continuance  of  his  friend's  case  ;  and  the  parish 
committee  promised  to  let  the  Baptists  alone  till  that  case 
was  tried.     Yet  in  a  few  days  another  tax  was  imposed 

1  Rev.  E.  Worth's  Centennial  Discourse  delivered  at  No.  Bervyick  Sept.  10,  1868,  p.  13. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  37 

and  demanded.  Upon  this  a  complaint  was  entered  to 
authority  against  the  former  collector  for  false  swear- 
ing, and  he  was  bound  over  to  court  upon  it,  but  he 
repeatedly  said  he  hoped  the  day  of  death  would  come 
before  that  day  of  trial.  And  behold,  he  died  suddenly 
just  before  the  Court!  Yet  this  did  not  hinder  the  next 
collector  from  coming  and  seizing  Mr.  Emery's  horse, 
while  he  was  visiting  a  sick  person.  The  parish  assessors 
were  sued  therefor  in  January,  1771,  and  though  they 
tried  a  number  of  crooked  ways  to  delay  the  matter,  and 
to  defeat  the  design,  yet  both  this  and  his  friend's  case, 
that  was  continued,  were  finally  turned  against  the 
assessors.  John  Emery  of  York,  joined  to  said  society, 
and  got  the  same  certified  to  the  assessors  of  the  parish 
where  he  lived ;  yet  he  was  taxed  to  their  worship,  and 
when  he  was  from  home,  a  collector  came  and  seized  his 
pewter  therefor.  But  experience  has  since  taught  their 
oppressors  to  cease  from  such  violence.  This  account  is 
carefully  taken  from  authentic  vouchers  now  in  my 
hands.  "^ 

Although  the  church  was  weak,  and  its  members  were 
subjected  to  such  bitter  persecution  that  we  find  under 
date  of  August  18,  1770,  the  church  "chose  Bro.  Emery  to 
go  to  Haverhill  in  behalf  of  the  church,  and  represent  the 
grievances,"  the  brethren  were  active  in  Christian  work. 
In  December  of  that  year  it  was  '  'voted  that  Bros.  Knight, 
Frost  and  Lord  be  a  committee  to  go  to  Lebanon  to  enquire 
into  the  state  of  the  church  there." 

Differences  early  manifested  themselves  in  the  Gorham 
church,  and  these  at  length  led  to  its  dissolution.  A  ref- 
erence to  these  differences  we  have  in  a  record  of  a  visit 
to  Gorham  made  by  Rev.  Hezekiah  Smith  in  1772.  "Mon. 
Jan.  20.     Began  a  journey  to  Gorham.     Went  that  day  to 

'  Backus'  History  of  the  Baptists  of  New  Ensrland  (Ed.  1871),  Vol.  2,  pp.  165.  166. 
Sullivan,  in  History  of  Maine,  p.  79,  says,  "There  never  was  anything  like  persecution  in 
the  District  of  Maine."  But  Backus  (History  of  the  Baptists  of  New  England,  Vol.  2,  p. 
482)  very  justly  remarks:  "But  all  ought  to  know  that  reviling  and  lying,  as  well  as 
spoiling  of  goods  and  imprisonment  for  matters  of  conscience,  are  persecutions  in  the 
sight  of  God.  Matt.  5:10,  11,  Heb.  10:42-44.  And  has  there  been  nothing  like  these  in 
the  District  of  Maine  7" 


38  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

Nehemiah  Gilman's  in  Exeter. —Tues.  21.  Went  to  Dea. 
Knight's  in  Berwick. —Wed.  22.  Went  to  Dea.  Wooley's 
in  Freetown  on  Saco  River.  Preached  that  evening 
from  2  Sam.  18.28,  and  the  next  day  at  the  Stone 
House  ^  from  Gen.  1.2  in  the  forenoon,  and  in  the  after- 
noon went  to  Capt.  Lane's  on  Narraganset  and  preached 
that  evening  from  John  40.  [so  printed]  31.— The  next 
day,  I  preached  again  in  the  forenoon  from  Gal.  3 . 9,  and 
in  the  afternoon  went  to  Hart  WiUiams'-in  Gorham.— Sat. 
25.  Had  a  church  meeting  and  settled  the  differences 
which  had  long  subsisted  among  them.  The  church  voted 
that  their  receiving  Mr.  Dawson  and  part  of  them  ordain- 
ing him  was  irregular  and  they  disproved  their  conduct.  — 
Sab.  26.  Preached  two  sermons  from  Rom.  3 .  25,  and  then 
administered  the  sacrament  of  the  Supper  to  them."^ 
There  are  no  subsequent  references  to  Gorham  in  Mr. 
Smith's  diary.  The  differences  evidently  did  not  remain 
settled,  and  the  church,  which  continued  pastorless,  at 
length  ceased  to  exist.* 

^  This  was  probably  the  stone  fort  at  Saco  Falls  erected  in  the  summer  of  1693  by- 
Major  Francis  Hooke  and  Captain  Hill.  It  may  be  the  block  house  mentioned  by  Mr- 
Smith  in  connection  with  his  service  at  Saco  on  his  first  visit. 

*  Hart  Williams  was  one  of  the  leading  men  of  the  town.  "He  was  a  corporal  in  1757 
in  Capt.  Joseph  Woodman's  company  in  the  Northern  army,  during  one  of  the  French 
wars.  At  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolution  he  was  in  command  of  a  company  of 
Gorham  militia,  and  when  the'news  of  the  battle  of  Lexington  reached  Falmouth,  April 
21,  1775,  started  to  march  his  company  to  Boston,  but  after  reaching  Wells  received 
orders  to  return  home.  On  the  24th  of  April,  Capt.  Williams  and  his  entire  company 
enlisted  in  Col.  Phinney's  31st  Mass.  regiment  of  foot.  Jan.  1,  1776,  he  was  commissioned 
captain  in  Col.  Phinney's  18th  Continental  regiment,  and  participated  in  the  siege  of 
Boston,  and  the  Ticonderoga  campaign  of  1776.  From  May  15,  1778,  to  Feb.  17,  1779,  he 
served  as  first  lieutenant  in  Capt.  Abraham  Tyler's  company.  Col.  Thomas  Poor's  militia 
regiment  in  the  eastern  part  of  New  York."  History  of  Gorham,  Me.,  by  Hugh  D. 
McLellan.  Compiled  and  edited  by  his  daughter,  Katharine  B.  Lewis,  pp.  838,  839.  See 
also  Nathan  Goold's  History  of  Col.  Edmund  Phinney's  31st  Regiment  of  Foot,  Collec- 
tions and  Proceedings  of  the  Maine  Historical  Society,  Second  Series,  Vol.  7,  p.  172. 

^  Guild's  Chaplain  Smith  and  the  Baptists,  p.  151. 

*  Some  think  Backus  in  error  in  saying  that  a  Baptist  church  was  organized  in  Gorham 
by  Hezekiah  Smith.  "I  have  heard,  many  years  gone  by,  that  there  was  a  person  by  the 
name  of  Hezekiah  Smith  who  preached  in  Gorham,  and  that  he  was  called  a  Baptist,  but 
as  to  his  gathering  a  church,  I  think  that  that  was  not  the  case.  From  1765  to  1768  was 
a  time  of  some  dissatisfaction  in  the  old  church.  Rev.  Mr.  Lombard  had  gone  into 
secular  business,  and  paid  but  little  attention  to  his  ministerial  work.  He  preached  but 
little,  and  many  said  his  preaching  was  not  worth  half  he  got,  and  contended  stoutly 
against  paying  him  his  ministerial  tax.    Many  thought  themselves  persecuted  for  being 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  39 

Mr.  Smith's  further  record  of  this  journey  is  as  follows  : 
"Mon.  27.  Went  to  North  Yarmouth.  Preached  that 
evening  at  Briant  Morton's  from  John  1.23.— Tues.  28. 
Preached  at  Mr.  Davis'  from  Ps.  139.7,  and  in  the  even- 
ing preached  at  Mr.  Merrill's  from  Isa.  28.16,  notwith- 
standing Mr.  Oilman,  their  minister,^  publicly  warned  them 
against  hearing  me  after  the  sermon  at  Mr.  Davis'.  — Wed. 
29.  Went  to  Falmouth  and  preached  that  afternoon  at 
Mr.  Burnam's  from  Rom.  5 .  2.  —  Thurs.  30.  Preached  in 
the  evening  from  Zech.  9.11.— Fri.  31.  Went  to  Mr. 
Littlefield's  in  Hollis.-Sat.  Feb.  1.  Went  to  Mr.  Emery's 
in  Berwick.— Sab.  2.  Preached  two  sermons  in  the  Bap- 
tist meeting-house  in  Berwick  from  Heb.  9 .  15,  and  Rev. 
22 . 1,  and  in  the  evening  at  Dea.  Knight's  from  Rev. 
22.  2.— Mon.  3.  Went  to  Philips  Town  and  preached  two 
sermons  from  Rom.  3.25,  and  10.4.— Tues.  4.  Preached 
again  from  1.  Peter  2 . 4,  and  then  went  to  Berwick,  and 
preached  that  evening  at  Mr.  Hambleton's  from  Rev. 
20 .  12.  —Wed.  5.  Went  to  Nehemiah  Oilman's  in  Exeter. 
-  Thurs.  6.     Went  home. ' '  ■ 

The  next  Baptist  church  organized  within  the  present 
limits  of  the  State  of  Maine  was  the  church  in  Sanford. 

As  a  result  doubtless  of  the  labors  of  brethren  connected 

« 

compelled  to  pay  what  as  by  law  and  their  own  agreement  they  were  obliged  to  do.  But 
this  war  was  not  so  much  against  the  doctrine  as  against  the  minister,  for  when  Mr. 
Thacher  was  settled,  who,  for  a  time,  was  remarkably  popular,  all  quieted  down,  and  the 
old  church  went  on  harmoniously,  and  we  can  find  of  the  old  settlers  none  who  appear  to 
have  seceded.  If  Mr.  Smith  preached  it  was  probably  at  some  time  during  this  turmoil, 
and  probably  he  had  hearers,  but  if  he  got  up  a  church  it  certainly  was  small,  or  some 
account  or  tradition  of  it  would  have  come  down  to  us."  History  of  Gorham,  Me.,  by 
Hugh  D.  McLellan.  (Compiled  and  edited  by  his  daughter,  Katharine  B.  Lewis,  pp.  211, 
212.  Some  account,  as  we  have  seen,  is  given  in  Hezekiah  Smith's  diary.  It  may  be 
added  that  Mr.  Lombard  discharged  "the  Proprietors  from  all  further  demands  upon 
them,  or  their  heirs,  from  him,  or  his  heirs,  for  salaries  forever"  on  May  6,  1762,  and  his 
final  separation  from  the  church  took  place  Aug.  15,  1764.  Mr.  Thacher  was  settled  as 
pastor  of  the  Gorham  church  October  28,  1767.  As  Rev.  Hezekiah  Smith's  visit,  as 
recorded  above,  was  in  1772,  the  "dissatisfaction"  at  the  time  was  not  with  Mr.  Lom- 
bard, but  with  Mr.  Thacher. 

'  This  was  Parson  Oilman  of  North  Yarmouth,  whose  residence,  on  the  present  line  of 
the  electric  road  from  Yarmouth  to  Portland,  about  a  mile  from  Yarmouth,  is  still  stand- 
ing. Parson  Oilman's  grave  is  in  the  cemetery  near  by.  and  the  large  old  granite  stone 
that  was  placed  before  the  entrance  of  his  meeting-house  is  now  resting  upon  his  grave. 

*  Guild's  Chaplain  Smith  and  the  Baptists,  pp.  151,  152. 


40  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

with  the  church  in  Berwick,  eighteen  persons  met  August 
17,  1772,  in  that  part  of  the  town  known  as  Massabesic, 
and  after  deliberation  it  was  decided  to  organize  a  Baptist 
church.  The  organization  was  effected  Sept.  16,  follow- 
ing. The  early  records  of  the  church  do  not  give  an 
account  of  the  organization.  A  page  or  two  may  be  want- 
ing.    The  first  entry  is  as  follows  : 

"After  which  embodying  (on  said  Sept.  16th)  the  church 
proceeded  to  consider  what  officers  are  scriptural  and 
necessary  for  the  health  of  the  church.  Agreed  that  a 
teaching  elder  and  deacons  were  needful,  etc.  Accord- 
ingly proceeded  unanimously  to  choose  Pelatiah  Tingley^ 
to  be  ordained  or  set  apart  to  the  work  of  an  elder,  or 
office  of  a  bishop,  to  administer  ordinances  wherever  the 
Head  Shepherd  in  his  Providence  may  call  him.  And 
upon  his  consenting  agreed  to  send  to  the  churches  of 
Christ  in  Haverhill,  in  Deerfield,  in  Stratham  and  in 
Berwick  to  assist  in  said  ordination  this  day  come  five 
weeks.  "^ 

At  the  time  when  this  action  was  taken  Napthali  Har- 
mon and  Daniel  Coffin  were  chosen  deacons,  or  as  the 
record  reads,  "table-servers,  or  servants  of  the  church." 
Letters  were  sent  to  the  above  mentioned  churches,  and 
the  churches  responded  by  the  appointment  of  delegates. 
These  met  October  20.     From  Stratham,   N.   H.,   came 

^  Pelatiah  Tingley  was  born  in  Attleboro',  Mass.,  about  the  year  1735,  was  converted 
when  sixteen  years  of  age,  entered  Yale  College,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1761. 
He  then  studied  theology  two  years.  After  preaching  a  year  or  more  in  Gorham, 
Province  of  Maine,  he  declined  in  1766  an  invitation  to  settle  there  as  parish  minister. 
In  1767  he  united  with  the  Baptist  church  in  Haverhill,  Mass.  The  following  is  an 
extract  from  the  diary  of  Rev.  Hezekiah  Smith,  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Haver- 
hill:  "Fri.  Nov.  13  [1767].  Mr.  Tingley,  A.  M.,  a  Congregational  minister,  was  before 
the  church  and  examined  for  baptism.  Sept.  15.  Preached  two  sermons  from  Mark 
10 .  28,  and  betv^een  meetings  baptized  Mr.  Pelatiah  Tingley,  who  was  examined  the 
Friday  before."  After  several  years  of  service  as  pastor  of  the  Sanford  church  Mr. 
Tingley  removed  to  Waterboro,  where  he  became  pastor  of  a  Baptist  church  "not  in  full 
fellowship  with  most  of  our  Baptist  churches,"  says  Backus.  Mr.  Tingley  was  one  of 
those  who  accepted  Benjamin  Randall's  doctrinal  views,  and  was  active  in  their  propaga- 
tion. He  was  a  delegate  from  Waterboro  to  the  famous  convention  held  in  Boston, 
Jan.  10,  1788,  for  the  purpose  of  ratifying  the  Federal  Constitution.  He  died  in  Water- 
boro, Sept.  3,  1821,  aged  83,  and  was  buried  on  what  is  called  the  old  Barrows  farm  in 
the  north  part  of  Waterboro. 

This  record  is  in  the  handwriting  of  Mr.  Tingley. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  41 

Elder  Samuel  Shepard  and  Elder  Samuel  Hovey ;  from 
Haverhill,  Mass.,  Bro.  Moses  Welch;  from  Brentwood, 
N.  H.,  Dea.  Stephen  Sleeper,  Bro.  John  Folsham,  Bro. 
John  Eastman ;  from  Deerfield,  N.  H. ,  Elder  Eliphalet 
Smith,  Dea.  Wadley  Cram,  Bro.  Sanbourn ;  from  Berwick, 
Bro.  Wm.  Frost,  Bro.  Hooper.  Upon  inquiry  it  was 
"found  that  the  desire  of  the  church  here  and  of  said 
Tingley  was  that  said  messengers  should  (if  able)  bear 
testimony  that  the  Lord  has  (in  a  measure)  qualified  and 
called  said  Tingley  to  the  work  of  an  evangelist,  or  to 
administer  the  ordinances  of  Christ  wherever  he  may  be 
properly  called.  Then  the  said  Tingley  upon  strict  decla- 
ration and  examination  gave  satisfaction,  as  to  a  work  of 
special  grace,  gifts,  and  qualifications  for  said  work." 
The  ordination  occurred  on  the  following  day,  October 
21.  Elder  E.  Smith  offered  prayer.  Elder  S.  Shepard 
preached  the  serrjion  from  1  Cor.  9 :  16  and  also  gave  the 
charge.  Elder  Hovey  gave  the  right  hand  of  fellowship, 
"but  after  the  teaching  elders  and  two  of  the  private 
brethren  had  laid  on  hands  and  one  prayed.  Then,  after 
prayer,  singing,  &c.,  Dea.  Sleeper  gave  an  excellent  cau- 
tion and  exhortation  to  the  church  not  to  lean  on  ministers, 
&c.  Then  returned  from  the  open  air  [the  ordination 
services  were  held  on  a  large  flat  rock]  into  the  widow 
Powers'  and  the  house  seemed  in  a  few  minutes'  space 
to  be  filled  with  the  glory  of  the  Lord.  Then  the  solemn 
ordinance  of  baptism  was  administered  by  Elder  Shep- 
ard to  eight  persons,  Moses  Tebbets,  Benj.  Harmon  and 
Catherine,  his  wife,  Sarah  Linscot,  Susanna  Haselton, 
Eunice  Merrill,  Mary  Sanbourn,  and  Anna  Harmon.  Ruth 
Haselton  was  baptized  by  him  next  day  at  Berwick.  At 
night  also  the  power  of  God's  love,  &c.,  flowed  very 
sweetly." 

The  church  records  show  that  much  of  the  time  at  the 
meetings  of  the  church  was  given  to  matters  of  discipline. 
Some  of  the  regulations  of  the  church  found  in  these 
records  were  peculiar.  Under  date  of  December  5,  1772, 
is  this  entry  :  "Church  met  and  voted.    1.   That  it  shall  be 


42  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

esteemed  a  matter  of  offence  for  a  brother  to  wear  more 
buttons  on  his  clothes  than  are  needed  or  convenient  for 
the  body.  2.  To  wear  a  silken  ribbon  on  his  hair.  Also 
for  a  sister  (1)  to  wear  ruffles,  (2)  to  bow  ribbons,  (3)  to 
wear  laces  on  their  clothes."  But  March  1,  1773,  it  was 
"Voted  the  sisters  may  wear  the  laces  that  are  now  on 
their  clothes."  The  following  is  an  extract  from  the 
record  of  the  meeting  of  the  church  September  7,  1774 : 
"Dea.  Powers  brought  a  charge  against  Dea.  Coffin  for 
judging  the  church  covetous  and  arbitrary.  Evidences. 
Bro.  Eleazer  Chadbourn  says  that  Dea.  Coffin  said  Sept. 
3,  1774,  that  he  could  not  walk  with  us  and  that  it  sprung 
from  a  covetous  disposition,  and  that  if  we  persisted  in  it 
we  should  be  more  arbitrary  than  the  Standing  Order. 
Also  Dea.  Harmon  and  Bro.  Samuel  Harmon  say  the  same 
in  substance  according  to  the  best  of  their  remembrance. 
Voted  that  Dea.  Powers'  charge  against  Dea.  Coffin  was 
supported  and  proved.  That  Dea.  Coffin's  reasons  for  his 
charge  against  the  church  were  not  sufficient.  To  meet 
for  fasting  and  prayer  next  Wednesday  at  Dea.  Coffin's." 
In  the  record  of  the  next  meeting  there  is  an  indication 
that  this  matter  was  not  easily  settled.  *  'After  much  con- 
ference the  brethren  who  were  present  agreed  to  walk 
together,  except  Dea.  Coffin."  There  is  no  further  men- 
tion of  this  trouble  in  the  church  records  until  July  7, 
1777,  when  the  church  met  at  Dea.  Powers,  "and  Dea. 
Coffin,  upon  his  confessing  he  was  sorry  hie  had  spoken  as 
he  did  and  did  not  keep  his  thoughts  to  himself,  &c. ,  was 
received  into  fellowship  with  the  church."  Not  all  of 
the  meetings,  however,  were  devoted  to  these  minor  mat- 
ters or  cases  of  discipline.  There  were  times  when  the 
"power  and  glory  of  the  Lord"  were  especially  manifest. 
About  the  middle  of  July,  1773,  a  request  was  received 
from  a  number  of  Baptists  in  Lebanon  for  the  appoint- 
ment of  a  committee  of  the  Sanford  church  to  consult 
with  them  as  to  the  propriety  of  their  uniting  with  that 
church  or  of  organizing  another  church  in  Lebanon.  Elder 
Tingley,.  Dea.  Powers  and  Bro.  Edward  Harmon  accord- 


HISTORY  OF  THE    BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  43 

ingly  visited  Lebanon  by  direction  of  the  church.  After 
due  inquiry  they  concluded  that  it  would  be  better  for  the 
Lebanon  brethren  to  unite  with  the  Sanford  church ;  and 
this  they  did. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  church  July  2,  1774,  Tozer  Lord,  a 
member  "of  the  branch  church  at  Lebanon"  stated  that  it 
was  the  desire  of  the  brethren  there  "to  embody  in  a 
church  by  themselves,"  and  the  suggestion  met  with  the 
approval  of  the  Sanford  church.  In  the  record  of  a  meet- 
ing of  the  Sanford  church  held  Aug.  6,  1774,  occurs  the 
following :  "Dea.  Powers  made  return  from  Lebanon  that 
the  church  there  is  embodied  in  peace. ' ' 

There  is  no  entry  in  the  Sanford  church  records  from 
Nov.  15,  1774,  until  May  11,  1776,  when  the  following 
appears  :  "After  long  declension,  etc.,  church  met  at  Dea. 
Powers." 

The  Berwick  church,  however,  increased  in  numbers, 
and  in  1776  a  division  of  the  church  was  found  to  be 
desirable.^  The  members  of  the  church  living  in  the  north 
part  of  the  town  united  with  the  Baptists  in  Madbury, 
N.  H.,  in  organizing  the  "Berwick  and  Madbury  church." 
Those  who  remained  adopted  the  name  of  the  "Berwick 
church  at  Great  Hill."  Of  this  new  church  across  the 
New  Hampshire  line  William  Hooper^  was  ordained  pastor 
at  Berwick  Aug.  14,  1776.     Previous  to  his  ordination  he 

'  Joshua  Emery,  who  for  many  years  was  minister  of  this  people,  was  never  ordained. 
He  was  assisted  in  preaching  by  Mr.  Joshua  Eaton.  Under  their  "united  and  well- 
directed  efTorts,  the  church,  like  the  rising  sun,  cast  its  cheering  beams  over  the  sur- 
rounding darkness  and  sent  forth  its  healthful  influence  into  the  new  and  growing 
settlements."  But  the  church  had  its  trials.  In  the  records  of  the  Sanford  church 
under  date  Sept.  21,  1774,  occurs  the  following  entry  :  "A  request  of  the  Baptist  church 
of  Christ  in  Berwick  to  this  church,  requesting  us  to  send  chosen  men  to  sit  with  them 
and  others  in  council  upon  difficulties  subsisting  between  them  and  Bro.  Joshua  Emery 
was  read  and  voted  in  the  affirmative,  and  chose  Dea.  Powers  and  Dea.  Harmon."  All 
the  light  the  Sanford  records  throw  upon  the  trouble  at  Berwick  is  found  in  these 
words  in  the  record  of  a  meeting  held  November  15  :  "Upon  inquiry  the  committee  to 
Berwick  made  return  that  they  were  not  accepted." 

'  Mr.  Hooper  was  a  member  of  the  convention  that  framed  the  Constitution  of  the 
State  of  New  Hampshire,  and  in  the  debate  with  reference  to  religious  liberty  and  the 
entire  separation  of  church  and  state  took  an  active  part,  but  the  opposite  view  pre- 
vailed. Noah  Hooper,  his  son,  became  a  successful  Baptist  minister.  His  grandson. 
Rev.  Noah  Hooper,  was  for  many  years  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Exeter,  N.  H. 


44  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

was  a  member  of  the  Berwick  church.  Dr.  W.  H.  Shailer^ 
says  of  him :  ''He  was  a  man  for  the  times,  and  though 
stigmatized  and  persecuted  by  the  'Standing  Order,'  he 
manifested  great  decision  and  boldness,  and  was  not  a 
man  to  be  deterred  by  opposition  or  ridicule  from  preach- 
ing the  truth,  and  performing  what  he  believed  to  be 
duty.  His  talents,  his  firmness,  and  his  zeal  gave  him 
an  influence  over  others  greater  in  many  instances  than 
the  individuals  themselves  were  willing  to  admit.  He 
was  called  a  'New  Light'  preacher,  a  term  by  which  the 
Baptists  were  then  generally  known ;  a  term  given  in 
reproach,  yet  having  a  significance  and  adaptedness  not 
dreamed  of  by  those  with  whom  it  originated.  It  was  a 
new  light  which  emanated  from  them  and  their  instruc- 
tion, shedding  its  rays  upon  several  important  subjects 
connected  with  the  welfare  of  Zion ;  a  light  not  new  in 
the  absolute  sense,  for  it  had  shined  brightly  in  the  primi- 
tive church,  but  which  having  been  hidden  for  ages  was 
new  to  those  among  whom  it  was  now  shining  as  in  a  dark 
place  ;  a  light  which  revealed  more  clearly  the  great  doc- 
trine of  'soul  liberty, '  or  the  right  to  worship  God  accord- 
ing to  the  convictions  of  the  individual  intellect,  and  the 
dictates  of  the  individual  conscience  ;  new  light  in  regard 
to  conformity  to  civil  and  ecclesiastical  authority,  when 
it  involved  non-conformity  to  the  authority  of  God ;  new 
light  in  regard  to  the  organizing  of  a  church  of  Christ, 
on  the  basis  of  an  entirely  regenerated  membership  of 
immersed  believers,  and  hence  new  light  in  regard  to  the 
nature  and  design  of  the  ordinance  of  baptism  and  the 
terms  of  church  fellowship." 

The  Revolutionary  War  was  now  in  progress  and  the 
energies  of  the  people  were  largely  enlisted  in  the  effort 
to  secure  the  independence  of  the  colonies.  Rev.  Hezekiah 
Smith  of  Haverhill  was  a  chaplain  in  the  Continental 
army.  He  was  present  at  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill, 
became  the  intimate  friend  of  Washington  and  served 

*  Historical  Discourse  preached  in  Hallowell  June  20, 1776. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  45 

with  distinction  throughout  the  war.^  The  Baptists  of 
New  England  generally,  as  throughout  the  colonies,  were 
among  the  first  to  pledge  to  the  cause  their  lives  and 
honor.  Their  attitude  is  well  expressed  by  Backus. 
"Since  the  Baptists  have  often  been  oppressed  in  this 
land,  and  would  have  suffered  more  than  they  did,  had  it 
not  been  for  restraints  from  Great  Britain,  how  came  they 
to  join  in  a  war  against  her  ?  Many  have  wondered  at  it, 
and  some  have  censured  them  severely  therefor.  But 
they  had  the  following  reasons  for  their  conduct :  1. 
Where  Episcopalians  have  had  all  the  power  of  govern- 
ment, they  have  never  allowed  others  so  much  liberty  as 
we  here  enjoyed.  In  England,  all  are  taxed  to  their  wor- 
ship, while  none  are  admitted  into  civil  offices  but  com- 
municants in  their  church.  In  Virginia,  they  cruelly 
imprisoned  Baptist  ministers,  only  for  preaching  the  gos- 
pel to  perishing  souls  without  license  from  their  courts, 
until  this  war  compelled  them  to  desist  therefrom.  Of 
this  we  had  incontestable  evidence.  Therefore  we  could 
have  no  rational  hopes  of  any  real  advantage  in  joining 
with  them.  2.  The  worst  treatment  we  here  met  with 
came  from  the  same  principles,  and  much  of  it  from  the 
same  persons  as  the  American  War  did.  Many  proofs  of 
this  have  already  been  given,  and  more  are  at  hand  if 
called  for.  3.  The  first  Baptist  minister  in  America  pub- 
licly held  forth,  that  all  righteous  government  is  founded 
in  compact,  expressed  or  implied,  which  is  equally  binding 
upon  rulers  and  ruled  ;  so  that  every  officer,  whether  suc- 
ceeding or  elected,  who  intermeddles  in  any  matter  not 
fairly  derived  from  thence,  goes  beyond  his  commission. 
When  therefore  our  countrymen  adopted  these  principles, 
and  founded  their  opposition  to  arbitrary  claims  wholly 
thereon,  how  could  we  avoid  joining  with  them  ?  For  4. 
Those  claims  appeared  to  us  absolutely  unjust,  and  a  direct 
violation  of  the  immutable  rules  of  truth  and  equity ;  so 
that  a  concurrence  with  them  would  have  brought  such 

'See  Guild's  Chaplain  Smith  and  the  Baptists  for  Hezekiah  Smith's  Revolutionary- 
record. 


46  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

guilt  upon  our  consciences,  as  is  infinitely  worse  than  all 
the  frowns  of  men.  5.  Though  heavy  corrections  were 
to  be  expected,  yet  a  strong  hope  was  begotten  of  final 
deliverance  to  this  land ;  the  good  effects  whereof  might 
hereafter  return  to  the  people  who  now  invaded  our 
rights.  It  is  not  pretended  that  our  denomination  were 
all  agreed,  or  had  equal  clearness  in  these  points,  but  a 
majority  of  them  were  more  or  less  influenced  thereby."^ 
Three  churches  were  organized  in  the  District  of  Maine 
during  the  Revolutionary  War.  Wells,  Oct.  10,  1780 ; 
First  Shapleigh,  now  Acton,^  in  1781,  and  Coxhall,  now 
Lyman,  Oct.  29,  1782. 

1  History  of  the  Baptists  in  New  England  (Ed.  of  1871)  Vol.  2,  pp.  197,  198. 

•  Millet's  statement  is  this :  "Rev.  Nehemiah  Davis  was  the  first  Baptist  to  unfurl  the 
glorious  gospel  banner  in  this  place.  Nor  was  the  effort  in  vain.  A  few  persons  became 
pious  Baptists,  who,  in  1781,  imited  together  for  the  worship  of  God."  Millet  gives  as 
his  authority  for  this  statement,  Dea.  J.  Bragdon. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


The  Freewill  Baptist  Movement. 

Rev.  William  Hooper,  immediately  following  the  services 
connected  with  his  ordination,  Aug.  14,  1776,  baptized  in 
the  river  at  Great  Falls  four  candidates.  These  were 
Benjamin  Randall,  John  Trefethen,  Nathaniel  Lord  and 
Ephraim  Foss.  All  four  united  with  the  Baptist  church 
in  Berwick  and  all  became  ministers  of  the  gospel ;  while 
Randall  also  became  the  founder  of  the  Freewill  Baptist 
denomination. 

Benjamin  Randall  was  born  Feb.  7,  1749,  in  Newcastle, 
N.  H.,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Piscataqua  river.  In  his 
childhood,  he  tells  us,^  he  was  under  deep  conviction  of  sin 
several  times,  but  he  failed  to  obtain  gospel  peace.  Sept. 
23,  1770,  Whitefield,  who  was  then  on  this  side  of  the  sea, 
came  to  Portsmouth,  N.  H. ,  and  Randall  attended  his  ser- 
vices. He  remained  unresponsive,  however,  to  the  preach- 
er's fervent  appeals.  On  the  following  Sunday,  Sept.  30, 
Whitefield  died  suddenly  at  Newburyport,  Mass.  "The 
minister  of  our  town  went  to  Portsmouth  to  preach  at  the 
great  meeting-house,  and  I  went  with  him,"  wrote  Mr. 
Randall.-  "At  noon  as  I  went  from  the  place  of  worship, 
I  stopped  with  an  acquaintance  at  Packer's  Corner,  and  a 
man  came  riding  along,  and  as  he  rode,  he  cried,  'Mr. 
Whitefield  is  dead.  He  died  this  morning  at  Newbury 
[port],  about  six  o'clock.'  As  soon  as  his  voice  reached 
my  ears,  an  arrow  from  the  quiver  of  the  Almighty  struck 
through  my  heart,  and  a  voice  more  loud  and  startling  than 
ever  thunder  pealed  upon  my  ears,  Whitefield  is  dead!" 
At  once  the  startled  young  man  recalled  the  words  of 

'  The  Life  of  Benjamin  Randall.    By  John  Buzzell  (Limerick.  1827),  pp.  5-9. 
'  Buzzell'a  Life  of  Elder  Benjamin  Randall,  p.  13. 


48  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

Whitefield  to  which  he  had  so  recently  hstened,  but  which 
he  had  so  willfully  disregarded ;  and  the  thought  at  once 
flashed  upon  his  mind,  "0  that  I  could  hear  his  voice 
again !  But,  ah,  never,  never  more  shall  I  hear  it  in  this 
life,  and  he  will  be  a  swift  witness  against  me  in  the  judg- 
ment of  the  great  day!"  Mr.  Randall's  distress  of  mind 
and  heart  was  very  great  for  weeks,  but  at  length,  Oct. 
15,  1770,  he  was  led,  as  he  tells  us,  to  behold  in  Christ  "a 
blessed  sacrifice  for  sin  to  the  full  satisfaction  of  divine 
justice."  The  heavy  burden  was  now  lifted  from  his  soul. 
"It  seemed  if  I  had  ten  thousand  souls,  I  could  trust  them 
all  with  Jesus.  I  saw  in  him  a  universal  love,  a  universal 
atonement,  a  universal  call  to  all  mankind,  and  was  confi- 
dent that  none  would  ever  perish,  but  those  who  refused 
to  obey  it."  Mr.  Randall  at  this  time,  Oct.  15,  1770,  was 
twenty-one  years  and  eight  months  old.^ 

In  November,  1772,  Mr.  Randall  united  with  the  Congre- 
gational church  in  Newcastle.  In  this  relation,  however, 
he  did  not  find  that  spiritual  blessing  which  he  antici- 
pated. Some  of  the  members  of  the  church  were  intem- 
perate and  of  corrupt  and  ungodly  lives,  yet  they  came  to 
the  communion  table  every  month  without  reproof.  This 
condition  of  things  in  the  church  distressed  Mr.  Randall, 
and  at  length  he  opened  his  heart  to  some  of  his  brethren, 
who  seemed  to  be  interested  in  sacred  things.  These 
came  together  from  time  to  time,  and  a  revival  followed. 
But  more  and  more  as  time  went  on  Mr.  Randall  found 
himself  out  of  harmony  with  his  brethren  in  the  church 
at  Newcastle,  and  in  May,  1775,  he  withdrew  from  its 
fellowship. 

This  was  at  the  opening  of  the  Revolutionary  War.  A 
large  British  man-of-war  was  lying  near  the  town,  and 
the  inhabitants  moved  back  into  the  country.  Mr.  Randall 
for  awhile  entered  the  military  service.  But  his  thoughts 
were  still  upon  sacred  things.  His  study  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament about  this  time  led  to  the  conviction  that  believers 
only  were  the  proper  subjects  of  baptism,  and  that  infant 

*Buzzell's  Life  of  Elder  Benjamin  Randall,  pp.  18-21. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  49 

baptism  was  a  human  invention,  a  tradition  of  man  and 
nowhere  authorized  by  Christ  or  his  apostles.  '  'Although 
it  was  like  taking  away  a  right  hand  to  give  it  up,"  he 
said,  "yet  I  dared  not  to  hold  it,  while  I  found  not  a  'Thus 
saith  the  Lord'  for  it."  For  awhile,  lest  he  should  wound 
the  feelings  of  others,  this  change  in  his  views  with  ref- 
erence to  the  scriptural  subjects  of  baptism  was  kept  a 
secret  in  his  own  breast ;  but  when  in  May,  1776,  his  third 
child  was  born,  and  his  wife  wished  to  have  the  infant 
christened  as  their  other  children  had  been,  he  was  com- 
pelled at  length  to  disclose  to  her  his  objections,  though 
in  deference  to  her  wishes  he  yielded  and  the  child  was 
sprinkled. 

Not  long  after,  having  brought  his  "entire  faith  and 
practice  to  the  test  of  Scripture  proof,"  as  he  says,  he 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  it  was  his  duty  to  be  baptized, 
and  it  was  his  purpose  to  go  to  Stratham,  N.  H.,  and  be 
baptized  by  Dr.  Samuel  Shepard,  a  former  Congregational 
minister  who  was  baptized  in  1771  by  Rev.  Hezekiah 
Smith,  having  become  a  Baptist  by  reading  Norcott's  work 
on  baptism.  But  Randall  found  that  others  independently 
were  having  an  experience  like  his  own,  and  the  ordina- 
tion of  Rev.  William  Hooper  at  Berwick,  Aug.  14,  1776, 
provided  an  administrator  of  the  ordinance  nearer  home. 

The  ordination  of  Mr.  Hooper  was  an  occasion  of  very 
great  interest  to  the  members  of  the  Baptist  church  in 
Berwick ;  but  they  had  an  added  joy  in  witnessing  his 
administration  of  the  ordinance  on  the  day  of  his  ordina- 
tion, as  these  four  young  men  were  buried  with  Christ  in 
baptism. 

Mr.  Randall  while  conducting  religious  meetings  had 
already  been  under  strong  conviction  that  it  was  his  duty 
to  preach  ;  but  he  could  not  bring  himself  to  a  willingness 
to  enter  upon  such  a  work.  Such  was  his  sense  of  his 
unworthiness  and  unfitness  for  this  work  that  he  even 
prayed  that  God  would  take  him  out  of  the  world  rather 
than  call  him  to  the  ministry  of  the  Word.  But  his  duty 
was  at  length  made  plain,  and  divinely  led,  as  he  believed, 

5 


50  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

Mr.  Randall  entered  upon  the  work  with  the  purpose  by 
the  help  of  God  to  devote  his  life  to  the  preaching  of  the 
gospel.  The  power  of  God  attended  him.  In  his  own 
town  in  connection  with  his  labors  a  wonderful  display  of 
God's  converting  grace  was  manifested.  Soon  he  was 
invited  to  preach  in  New  Durham,  N.  H.  There,  also, 
converts  were  multiplied,  as  the  truth  was  earnestly, 
impressively  proclaimed,  and  Mr.  Randall  was  asked  to 
take  the  pastorate  of  the  Baptist  church  in  that  place. 
The  call  was  accepted,  with  the  understanding,  however, 
that  he  should  be  allowed  to  work  elsewhere  as  the  Lord 
seemed  to  direct.  New  Durham  became  Mr.  Randall's 
home  March  26,  1778,  and  there  he  continued  to  reside 
during  the  remainder  of  his  life,  a  minister  of  Jesus  Christ 
not  by  the  will  of  men,  but  by  the  grace  of  God,  who  had 
called  him,  as  he  believed,  into  his  service.  Men  might 
reject  his  message,  as  at  home  or  here  and  there  he 
preached  the  word,  but  it  was  because  of  their  unwilling- 
ness to  accept  Christ  as  Saviour  and  Lord,  and  not  because 
of  any  insufficiency  in  the  provisions  of  the  gospel.  These 
were  full  and  free. 

Mr.  Randall  had  not  as  yet  been  ordained.  His  ordi- 
nation occurred  April  5,  1780.  He  had  received  no  special 
training  for  the  work  of  the  ministry.  Following  the  sea 
with  his  father  from  the  age  of  nine  years  until  he  was 
nearly  eighteen,  he  could  find  only  such  opportunities  for 
school  instruction  as  a  country  town  in  New  Hampshire  at 
that  early  period  afforded.  But  he  had  studied  by  himself 
his  English  Bible,  and  its  teachings,  as  he  apprehended 
them,  he  fully  accepted.  Of  the  views  of  the  New  Eng- 
land theologians  of  his  time  he  knew  nothing.  Books 
were  few  in  those  days.  But  the  influences  of  the  Great 
Awakening  had  reached  to  these  remote  settlements,  and 
Mr.  Randall,  as  we  have  seen,  in  the  continued  revival 
movements,  came  under  the  influence  of  Whitefield,  as 
this  fiery  evangelist  made  his  way  into  New  England  and 
with  persuasive  eloquence  called  upon  men  to  repent  of 
their  sins  and  become  reconciled  unto  God.    In  Mr.  Ran- 


HISTORY    OF    THE    BAPTISTS    IN    MAINE.  51 

dall's  preaching,  as  he  entered  upon  the  work,  there  was 
doubtless  little  more  than  the  plainest,  simplest  statements 
of  gospel  teaching.  He  asserted  the  lost  condition  of  man 
as  a  sinner,  exalted  Christ  as  an  all-sufficient  Saviour,  and 
closed  with  an  exhortation,  urging  upon  his  hearers 
mstant  action  in  fleeing  from  the  wrath  to  come.  A 
somewhat  forceful  personality,  doubtless,  added  to  the 
effectiveness  of  the  message. 

In  his  preaching  Mr.  Randall  supposed  that  he  was  in 
entire  agreement  with  his  Baptist  brethren.  Concerning 
the  theological  views  held  by  Baptists  generally  at  this 
time  he  knew  absolutely  nothing.  Calvinism  and  Armin- 
ianism,  he  tells  us,  he  had  never  heard  discussed.  "As 
the  doctrine  of  Calvin  had  not  been  in  dispute  among  us," 
he  wrote,  "I  had  not  considered  whether  I  believed  it  or 
not.  But  as  the  Lord  had  shewed  me  an  universal  atone- 
ment, and  fulness  enough  in  Christ  for  all  men— the 
appearance  of  grace  to  all  men— that  the  call  of  the  gospel 
was  to  all,  and  that  God  was  not  willing  that  any  should 
perish— that  same  love  constrained  me  to  go  forth,  and 
call  upon  all  men  to  come  to  Christ  and  be  saved. "  ^ 

But  early  in  1779,  Mr.  Randall  was  unexpectedly 
requested  in  a  public  meeting  by  one  of  his  older  brethren 
in  the  ministry  to  tell  why  he  did  not  preach  election 
according  to  Calvin's  doctrine.  The  name  of  the  minister 
who  made  this  request  Mr.  Randall  did  not  give.  The 
articles  of  faith  in  general  use  among  Baptists  at  that 
time  were  what  is  known  as  the  Philadelphia  Confession 
of  1742.  This  was  the  London  Baptist  Confession  of  1689, 
which  was  the  Westminster  Confession  of  Faith  adapted 
to  Baptist  uses,  and  of  course  was  strongly  Calvinistic. 
"Those  whom  God  had  predestinated  unto  life,"  said  the 
Philadelphia  Confession,  "he  is  pleased,  in  his  appointed 
and  accepted  time,  effectually  to  call  by  bis  Word  and 
Spirit  out  of  that  state  of  sin  and  death  in  which  they  are 

by  nature  to  grace  of  salvation  by  Jesus  Christ 

This  effectual  call  is  of  God's  free  and  special  grace  alone, 

'Life  of  Elder  Benjamin  Randall  by  John  Buzzell,  p.  75. 


52  HISTORY    OF    THE    BAPTISTS    IN    MAINE. 

not  from  anything  at  all  foreseen  in  man,  nor  from  any 
power  or  agency  in  the  creature  co-working  with  his 
special  grace  ;  the  creature  being  wholly  passive  therein, 
being  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins,  until,  being  quickened 
and  renewed  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  he  is  thereby  enabled  to 
answer  this  call,  and  to  embrace  the  grace  offered  and 
conveyed  in  it,  and  that  by  no  less  power  than  that  which 
raised  up  Christ  from  the  dead."^ 

No  one  at  this  time  was  better  informed  in  reference  to 
the  Baptists  of  New  England  than  Isaac  Backus.  In  a 
statement  with  reference  to  their  doctrinal  beliefs  he 
says :  ^  They  believe :  '  '2.  That  in  infinite  mercy  the 
eternal  Father  gave  a  certain  number  of  the  children  of 
men  to  his  beloved  Son,  before  the  world  was,  to  redeem 
and  save :  and  that  he,  by  his  obedience  and  sufferings, 
has  procured  eternal  redemption  for  them.  3.  That  by 
the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  these  persons  individu- 
ally, as  they  come  into  existence,  are  effectually  called  in 
time,  and  savingly  renewed  in  the  spirit  of  their  minds." 

Not  so  had  Benjamin  Randall  read  his  Bible.  This  was 
not  the  teaching  he  had  heard  from  the  lips  of  Whitefield. 
He  believed  that  the  atonement  of  Christ  rendered  salva- 
tion possible  to  all.  This  was  the  gospel  he  had  hitherto 
preached  and  he  knew  no  other  gospel.  When,  therefore, 
he  was  asked  why  he  did  not  preach  the  doctrine  of 
election  as  held  by  Calvin,  he  made  the  prompt  reply, 
"Because  I  do  not  believe  it."  A  long  and  earnest  discus- 
sion followed,  but  Randall  could  not  be  moved  from  the 
position  he  had  taken.  With  renewed  interest  he  turned 
to  the  ScHptures,  resolved  not  only  to  know  so  far  as  it 
was  possible  what  the  Bible  teaches,  but  to  follow  its 
teachings  whithersoever  they  might  lead.  No  new  light 
for  him,  however,  broke  from  its  pages,  and  his  study  of 
God's  Word  only  made  more  clear  what  he  regarded  as  the 
rocky  strength  of  his  position. 

Those  were  strenuous  days  in  religious  circles,  and  the 

'  Article  X  :  1  and  2. 

2  History  of  the  Baptists  of  New  England  (Weston's  Ed.,)  Vol.  2,  p.  232. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  53 

lines  of  the  contestants  were  more  and  more  sharply- 
drawn.  In  July,  1779,  at  the  Baptist  meeting-house  in 
Gilmanton,  N.  H. ,  Mr.  Randall  was  called  upon  to  answer 
for  himself  in  a  public  assembly.  A  debate  followed  the 
presentation  of  his  views  and  this  was  continued  the 
greater  part  of  two  days.  It  was  a  sort  of  summer 
school  in  theology  to  the  large  audience  called  together  by 
the  discussion.  "I  have  no  fellowship  with  brother  Ran- 
dall in  his  principles,"  said  his  leading  opponent  at  the 
close  of  the  discussion.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  neither 
Mr.  Randall  nor  those  who  were  in  agreement  with  him 
were  disfellowshiped  by  the  churches  with  which  they 
were  connected.  Those  are  supposed  to  have  been  days  of 
church  discipline,  when  there  was  much  "hewing  to  the 
line,"  but  while  there  were  discussions,  we  do  not  read 
of  heresy  trials.  "I  applied  to  the  church  to  which  I 
belonged  for  a  dismission,"  says  Mr.  Randall,  "but  they 
would  never  grant  it.  Neither  was  there  ever  a  com- 
mittee appointed  by  the  church  to  labor  with  me,  that 
ever  I  knew  of,  and  so  they  let  me  alone."  ^ 

Those  Baptist  fathers  along  the  frontier  of  southwest- 
ern Maine  and  over  the  border  in  New  Hampshire  were 
evidently  men  who,  while  contending  stoutly  against  what 
they  believed  to  be  erroneous  and  harmful  doctrine  were 
unwilling  to  make  the  holding  of  such  doctrine  an  occasion 
for  exclusion  from  church  membership.  They  would 
allow  time  for  the  further  and  better  understanding  of  the 
teachings  of  God's  Word,  yet  more  on  the  part  of  their 
opponents  it  may  be,  than  on  their  own  part.  They  thus 
in  nowise  assailed  the  Christian  character  of  Randall  and 
those  in  agreement  with  him,  and  left  them  to  work  out 
their  own  destiny  as  followers  of  a  common  Master. 

But  the  breach  that  separated  Randall  from  his  Baptist 
brethren  continued  to  widen.  In  August,  1779,  a  branch 
of  the  Berwick  Baptist  church  in  Barrington,  N.  H.,  was 
organized  as  an  independent  church.  Rev.  Tozer  Lord, 
who  in  October,  1776,  was  ordained  as  pastor  of  the  Bap- 

'  Life  of  Elder  Benjamin  Randall  by  John  Buzzell,  p.  80. 


54  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

tist  church  in  Lebanon,  Maine,  but  had  accepted  anti- 
Calvinistic  views,  became  pastor  of  the  Barrington  church. 
In  March,  1780,  Mr.  Randall  united  with  this  church 
without  dismission  from  the  Berwick  church.  His  ordina- 
tion to  the  work  of  an  evangelist  followed  at  New  Durham 
April  5,  1780.  Mr.  Lord  preached  the  sermon  and  Edward 
Lock,  who  united  with  the  Baptist  church  in  Gilmanton, 
N.  H.,  in  1775,  gave  the  hand  of  fellowship.  Mr.  Lord 
continued  to  preach  in  Barrington  several  years,  although 
his  home  was  in  Acton,  Maine.  In  1800,  he  removed  to 
Athens,  Maine,  where  he  died  in  March,  1830.  He  never 
formally  connected  himself  with  the  Freewill  Baptist 
denomination,  although  in  sympathy  with  the  movement. 
Mr.  Lock,  in  December,  1779,  requested  dismission  from 
the  Baptist  church  in  Gilmanton  in  order  to  unite  with  the 
separate  or  independent  church  in  London  and  Canter- 
bury, N.  H.  A  council,  called  to  consider  this  request, 
was  held  Feb.  16,  1780.  It  was  the  decision  of  the  council 
that  Mr.  Lock  had  departed  from  the  faith,  and  should 
confess  his  error  and  return.  This  he  declined  to  do,  and 
a  few  weeks  later  he  received  ordination  at  the  hands  of 
Rev.  Tozer  Lord  and  united  with  the  London  and  Canter- 
bury church.  About  two  years  later  a  majority  of  the 
members  of  this  church,  including  Lock,  went  over  to 
Shakerism.^  The  church  of  which  Rev.  Tozer  Lord  was 
pastor  lost  its  visibility  about  the  same  time. 

Having  been  ordained,  Benjamin  Randall  proceeded  to 
organize  at  New  Durham,  N.  H.,  a  church  consisting  of 
brethren  and  sisters  who  were  in  agreement  with  him 
in  his  doctrinal  views.  His  own  account  of  this  transac- 
tion is  as  follows:  "There  being  a  considerable  number 
of  brethren  and  sisters  at  New  Durham  and  its  vicinity, 
we  had  it  in  contemplation  to  embody  as  a  church  by  our- 
selves, and  were  still  of  opinion  that  there  must  be  some 
written  articles  of  faith,  and  a  written  covenant  for  us 
to  sign ;    although  we  concluded  that  the  scriptures  of 

'  In  1792  Mr.  Lock,  having  lost  his  interest  in  Shakerism,  removed  to  Chesterville,  Me., 
and  was  restored  to  membership  among  the  Freewill  Baptists. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  55 

truth  were  the  only  rule  of  faith  and  practice."  He 
accordingly  prepared  thirteen  articles,  and  also  a  cov- 
enant.^ "After  the  above  named  articles  and  covenant 
were  drawn  up,"  says  Randall,  "and  laid  before  the  mem- 
bers on  the  30th  of  June,  1780,  we  all,  in  a  solemn  man- 
ner, by  prayer  and  supplication  to  the  Lord,  covenanted 
together  in  the  fear  of  God,  and  signed  our  names  to  the 
above  instrument.  This  is  the  beginning  of  the  now  large 
and  extensive  connection  called  Free  Will  Baptist."' 

At  the  time,  however,  Mr.  Randall  and  his  associates 
had  no  thought  of  founding  a  new  denomination.  "They 
organized  simply  as  a  Baptist  church,  hoping  that  the 
power  of  the  truth  and  Christian  forbearance  would  yet 
enable  them  to  work  harmoniously  with  their  Calvinistic 
brethren."^  Indeed  the  church  organized  by  Mr.  Randall 
was  "The  Baptist  church  at  New  Durham." 

But,  according  to  his  biographer,  Mr.  Randall  still 
labored  "under  peculiar  trials  in  his  own  mind;  for 
although  he  was  confident  that  God  had  converted  his 
soul,  and  had  called  him  to  preach  the  gospel,  there  were 
several  passages  of  scripture  which  he  did  not  fully  under- 
stand, and  as  he  was  now  placed  as  the  mark  of  opposi- 
tion, his  opposers  would  often  throw  those  passages  in 
his  way,  in  order  to  confute  him,  viz. ,  such  as  Rom.  8  :  29, 
'Whom  he  did  foreknow,  them  he  also  did  predestinate,' 
&c.     Eph.  1 :  4,  'According  as  he  hath  chosen  us  in  him, 

'  The  covenant  prepared  by  Mr.  Randall  was  as  follows  : 

"We  do  now  declare  that  we  have  given  ourselves  to  God  :  and  do  now  agree  to  give 
ourselves  to  each  other  in  love  and  fellowship  ;  and  do  also  agree  to  take  the  scriptures 
of  truth  for  the  rule  of  our  faith  and  practice,  respecting  our  duty  toward  God,  our 
neighbors  and  ourselves. 

"We  do  promise  to  practice  all  the  commands  in  the  New  Testament  of  our  Lord  and 
Savior  Jesus  Christ,  so  far  as  they  are  now,  or  shall  be  made  known  to  us  by  the  light 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  of  truth,  without  which,  we  are  sensible,  we  cannot  attain  to  the  true 
knowledge  thereof.  We  also  promise  to  bear  each  other'siburdens,  and  so  fulfil  the  law 
of  love,  which  is  the  law  of  Christ.  We  do  further  agree  to  give  liberty  for  the  improve- 
ment of  the  gifts  of  the  brethren,  and  to  keep  up  the  worship  of  God,  and  not  to  forsake 
the  assembling  of  ourselves  together,  as  the  manner  of  some  is.  We  do  likewise  further 
agree  not  to  receive  any  person  into  fellowship,  except  they  give  a  satisfactory  evidence 
of  a  change  in  life  and  heart ;  and  also  promise  to  submit  to  the  order  of  the  Gospel  as 
above.    Amen." 

2  Buzzell's  Life  of  Elder  Benjamin  Randall,  p.  84. 

*  Stewart's  History  of  the  Freewill  Baptists,  p.  55. 


56  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

before  the  foundation  of  the  world. '  And  Rom.  9 :  13, 
'Jacob  have  I  loved,  and  Esau  have  I  hated. '  'Many  are 
called,  but  few  are  chosen,  &c.'"  Mr.  Randall  made  no 
attempt  to  reconcile  these  passages  with  his  teachings, 
but  simply  said  he  believed  that  if  they  were  '  'fully  under- 
stood they  contained  a  sense  which  run  parallel  with  the 
universal  call  of  the  gospel."  And  yet  he  was  troubled 
on  account  of  these  passages.  But  there  was  an  end 
of  his  trial  in  July,  1780.  He  had  a  manifestation,  an 
experience.  "I  saw,"  he  says,  "all  the  scriptures  in  per- 
fect harmony  ;  and  those  texts,  about  which  my  opposers 
were  contending,  were  all  opened  to  my  mind  ;  and  I  saw 
that  they  ran  in  perfect  connection  with  the  universal  love 
of  God  to  men— the  universal  atonement  in  the  work  of 
redemption,  by  Jesus  Christ,  who  tasted  death  for  every 
man— the  universal  appearance  of  grace  to  all  men,  and 
with  the  universal  call  of  the  gospel."  The  "scene  was 
withdrawn,"  and  Mr.  Randall  had  no  further  trial  with 
reference  to  the  meaning  of  those  passages  of  Scripture. 
Whether  he  was  in  the  body  or  out  of  the  body  at 
the  time,  he  said  he  could  not  tell.  His  biographer  very 
naively  adds,  "It  would  doubtless  have  been  very  gratify- 
ing to  my  readers,  if  Elder  Randall  had  given  a  short 
specimen  of  his  extraordinary  view  of  the  construction 
and  plain  meaning  of  those  controverted  subjects,  to  which 
he  alludes." 

In  February,  1781,  Mr.  Randall  organized  a  church  in 
Tamworth,  N.  H.,  and  during  the  same  year  he  organized 
another  church  in  Barrington.  Then  he  made  a  journey 
eastward  as  'far  as  the  Kennebec  river.  In  eighteen 
months  there  were  nine  churches  in  the  new  fellowship. 
In  each  of  these  churches  Mr.  Randall  established  a 
monthly  meeting,  and  these  were  so  arranged  that  he 
could  conveniently  attend  them,  and  they,  by  their  mes- 
sengers, could  also  visit  each  other.  Later  quarterly 
meetings  were  added,  and  at  length  yearly  meetings  as 
the  necessity  for  a  more  compact  organization  appeared. 

The  communion  question  arose   in  the  New  Durham 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  57 

church.  At  a  conference  Sept.  12,  1781,  this  inquiry  was 
raised,  "Is  it  duty  to  commune  occasionally  with  such  as 
have  not  been  baptized  by  immersion  ?"  There  was  "long 
labor"  and  then  the  question  "was  referred  for  further 
consideration."  At  a  quarterly  meeting  held  in  March, 
1784,  the  Woolwich  church  introduced  the  question  in  this 
form:  "Is  it  right  to  commune  occasionally  with  persons 
who  have  never  been  baptized  by  immersion?"  The 
answer  of  the  meeting  was  this  :  '  It  is  the  mind  of  the 
meeting  that  we  need  not  trouble  ourselves  about  this 
question  now,  as  we  have  never  had  any  trial  with  it." 
Early  in  1785,  however,  the  church  in  New  Durham  took 
up  the  question  again,  and  the  following  vote  was  passed  : 
"We  believe  it  duty,  for  the  future,  to  give  leave  to  such 
brethren  as  are  not  baptized  by  immersion,  whom  we 
fellowship  in  the  spirit,  to  commune  with  us  occasionally 
if  they  desire  it."  It  was  not  until  several  years  after- 
ward, however,  that  the  record  is  found  of  "a  general 
invitation  ;"  but  church  membership  was  implied.^ 

The  growth  of  the  new  movement  was  not  rapid.  In 
1790,  there  were  in  the  churches  connected  with  it  only 
eight  ordained  ministers,  ten  licensed  preachers  and  about 
four  hundred  members.  But  from  this  time  a  larger 
degree  of  prosperity  was  manifest.  Commencing  with 
1797,  a  widespread  revival  was  in  progress  in  New  Eng- 
land as  elsewhere  in  the  country,  and  the  churches  con- 
nected with  the  new  movement  naturally  shared  in  the 
results.  In  1804,  when  these  churches  in  the  Province  of 
Maine  petitioned  the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts  for 
incorporation  as  a  religious  body,  they  had  a  membership 
of  about  two  thousand.' 

In  the  action  which  was  taken  with  reference  to  incor- 
poration this  language  was  used :  '  'Voted,  that  it  is  the 
mind  of  this  meeting  to  petition  the  General  Court  of 
Massachusetts,  that  all  the  Freewill,  Antipedo  Baptists  in 

'  Stewart's  History  of  the  Freewill  Baptists,  pp.  100,  101. 
'  Greenleaf' s  Ecclesiastical  Sketches,  p.  272. 


58  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

said  state  may  be  incorporated  into  a  society  by  the  above 
name." 

Inasmuch  as  at  the  beginning  of  the  movement  separa- 
tion from  the  Baptists  by  Randall  and  his  associates 
was  not  anticipated,  the  churches  they  organized  were 
regarded  by  themselves  as  Baptist  churches.  Those  who 
joined  them  were  for  some  time  designated  by  others  as 
Randallites,  General  Provisioners,  Freewillers,  Open  Com- 
munionists,  in  the  absence  of  any  designation  of  their 
own.  In  the  certificates  given  by  an  ordaining  council  in 
1799,  the  term  * 'Freewill  Baptist,"  occurs.  Stewart  says  : 
"Here  for  the  first  time,  in  all  the  old  records  or  historical 

papers,  do  we  find  the  term  Freewill  Baptist 

Let  it  be  remembered  that  Randall  and  his  associates 
refused  to  acknowledge  the  name  Freewill  Baptist  for 
twenty  years  after  the  separation,  and  when  they  first 
placed  it  upon  their  records,  in  preserving  a  copy  of  the 
above  certificates,  it  was  certainly  not  received  with  favor. 
Many  of  the  fathers  lived  and  died  objecting  to  the  name, 
but  a  majority  finally  acquiesced  in  its  use.  As  the 
denomination  has  too  often  been  content  to  occupy  the 
retired  place  assigned  it  by  others,  so  the  name  finally 
assumed  was  by  no  means  the  one  of  their  choice,  but  the 
one  their  opposers  had  fastened  upon  them."^ 

It  is  plain  from  this  narration  that  the  Freewill  Baptist 
movement  had  its  beginning  among  the  Baptists  of  Maine, 
and  was  one  of  the  results  of  the  great  religious  awak- 
ening in  New  England  which  followed  the  preaching  of 
Whitefield  during  the  period  marked  by  his  successive 
visits,  beginning  in  1740  and  continuing  until  his  death 
at  Newburyport  in  1770.  The  impassioned,  even  eloquent 
presentation  of  gospel  truth  which  characterized  Mr. 
Whitefield 's  evangelistic  activity  was  in  striking  contrast 
with  the  formal,  unimpassioned  preaching  of  the  minis- 
ters into  whose  pulpits  he  came.  *  'His  fame  as  an  evan- 
gelist had  preceded  him  and  had  enkindled  anticipation 
of  the  beneficial  results  to  follow  his  coming.     His  meth- 

'  History  of  the  Freewill  Baptists,  pp.  175,  176. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  59 

ods  were  novel,  and  his  endowments  for  his  undertaking 
certainly  large.  The  ministers  of  New  England  at  this 
period,  with  very  few  exceptions,  preached  from  closely 
written  manuscripts,  which  must  generally  have  been  held 
in  the  hand,  and  often  near  to  the  eyes,  and  their  preach- 
ing was  with  few  graces  of  manner  or  elocution.  Here 
suddenly  appeared  among  them  a  young  man  of  twenty- 
six  years  of  age,  whom  nature  had  endowed  with  some 
of  the  greatest  gifts  of  an  orator,  —a  splendid  physique,  a 
marvelous  voice,  a  vivid  dramatic  power,— one  who  seemed 
to  pour  forth  his  torrent  of  apparently  unpremeditated 
eloquence  without  fatigue  or  study.  It  was  a  novel  expe- 
rience to  listen  to  such  a  man.  American  congregations 
had  never  heard  the  like."^ 

The  influence  of  Whitefield's  evangelistic  labors  in  his 
visitations  of  1740,  1744,  1754,  1764  and  1770,  extended  to 
the  remotest  part  of  New  England.  In  many  a  heart, 
doubtless,  as  in  that  of  Benjamin  Randall,  the  tidings  of 
Whitefield's  sudden  death  made  an  impression  which  his 
gospel  message,  however  eloquently  delivered,  failed  to 
produce.  But  the  influence  of  the  great  evangelist  was 
even  more  widely  carried  by  the  itinerating  preachers 
who  caught  his  spirit  and  went  everywhere  preaching  the 
word.  Also  lay-exhorters  and  gospel  workers  there  were, 
men  without  the  training  of  the  schools,  who  having 
experienced  the  grace  of-  God  in  their  own  hearts  were 
moved,  divinely  as  they  believed,  to  go  forth  and  tell  what 
great  things  God  had  done  for  their  own  souls. 

Whitefield  was  a  Calvinist  and  believed  strongly  in  the 
elective  purposes  of  God  ;  but  none  the  less  did  he  exhort 
men  to  repent  of  their  sins  and  grasp  by  faith  the  hand  of 
one  mighty  to  save,  as  if  everything  depended  upon  their 
own  unaided  efforts.  It  was  so  with  those  who  caught 
his  spirit  and  followed  in  his  footsteps.  The  appeal  of 
preacher  and  lay-exhorter  was  made  to  men  and  women 
as   if   the   choice  was  with   them   whether   they  would 

'Some  Aspects  of  the  Religious  Life  in  New  Engrland,  by  George  L.  Walker,  D.  D., 
pp.  92,  93. 


60  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

forsake  their  sins  and  lead  a  new  life,  or  continue  unre- 
pentant. It  mattered  not  how  strong  their  creeds  were 
in  asserting  the  sovereignty  of  God  and  his  elective 
purposes,  they  bore  down  upon  their  hearers  for  an 
immediate  decision,  urging  them  to  flee  at  once  from  the 
wrath  to  come.  Calvinism  and  Arminianism  were  terms 
unknown,  or  if  known  were  unheeded.  Man  was  a  sin- 
ner, Christ  was  a  Saviour,  and  those  who  had  not  already 
renounced  their  sins  should  do  so  and  accept  Christ  as 
Redeemer  and  King. 

It  was  this  kind  of  preaching  and  exhorting  that  pre- 
pared the  way  in  the  Province  of  Maine  for  the  movement 
which  was  commenced  by  Benjamin  Randall  and  led  to 
the  establishment  of  Freewill  Baptist  churches.  It  was 
because  he  was  familiar  with  this  kind  of  preaching,  and 
had  heard  no  other,  that  Randall  was  led  to  suppose  he 
was  in  full  accord  with  his  Baptist  brethren  in  proclaiming 
free  grace  and  teaching  that  the  gospel  call  is  to  all,  that 
the  Holy  Spirit  enlightens  all,  and  that  to  every  one  is 
given  the  ability  to  accept  or  reject  the  provisions  of  the 
atonement  made  by  Christ.  He  had  heard  no  other  gos- 
pel, and  he  preached  that  which  he  had  received. 

The  position  which  Randall  held  at  that  time  is  in  entire 
harmony  with  that  which  Maine  Baptists  hold  at  the  pres- 
ent day.  The  opposition  which  he  encountered  among  his 
Baptist  brethren  was  based  upon  doctrinal  expressions 
like  those  in  the  Philadelphia  Confession  of  Faith.  But 
these  were  already  undergoing  modification  in  Baptist 
circles  in  New  England.  The  discussions  which  had  their 
origin  in  the  Freewill  movement  aided  in  this  modification. 
Much  more  powerful,  however,  was  the  influence  of 
Andrew  Fuller,  the  gifted  pastor  of  Kettering,  England, 
who  in  1785,  in  opposition  to  the  hyper-Calvinistic  views 
of  his  brethren,  published  his  "Gospel  Worthy  of  all 
Acceptation."  A  conflict  followed  in  which  Fuller  bore 
a  heroic  part.  His  "Calvinistic  and  Socinian  Systems 
Examined  and  Compared,"  and  his  "Gospel  its  Own 
Witness,"  were  powerful  instruments  in  modifying  the 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  61 

extreme  views  that  had  hitherto  been  held  by  Baptists  in 
England.  These  writings  found  their  way  into  New  Eng- 
land and  aided  in  bringing  about  a  like  result  here. 

This  modification  of  doctrinal  views  was  recognized  in 
the  New  Hampshire  Articles  of  Faith  adopted  in  1833,  and 
which  found  ready  acceptance  in  our  New  England  Bap- 
tist churches.  Article  VI.,  on  the  freeness  of  salvation, 
reads  as  follows  :  '  'We  believe  that  the  blessings  of  salva- 
tion are  made  free  to  all  by  the  gospel,  that  it  is  the 
immediate  duty  of  all  to  accept  them  by  a  cordial,  peni- 
tent and  obedient  faith ;  and  that  nothing  prevents  the 
salvation  of  the  greatest  sinner  on  earth  but  his  own 
inherent  depravity  and  voluntary  rejection  of  the  gospel ; 
which  rejection  involves  him  in  an  aggravated  condem- 
nation." 

Because  of  this  doctrinal  change  among  Baptists,  the 
Freewill  Baptist  moyement  failed  to  make  the  impression 
which  it  otherwise  doubtless  would  have  made.  After  the 
early  discussions  in  the  Baptist  churches  occasioned  by  the 
views  of  Randall  and  his  associates,  no  further  notice  of 
the  movement  seems  to  have  been  taken.  The  minutes 
of  the  Baptist  associations  in  Maine  at  the  close  of  the 
eighteenth  century  and  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth 
contain  no  references  to  it.  One  would  not  learn  from 
these  minutes  that  any  such  movement  was  in  progress. 
The  labors  of  Baptists  and  Freewill  Baptists  in  general 
were  not  on  the  same  fields,  and  the  fields  on  which  the 
Baptists  spent  their  strength  were  as  many  and  as  large 
as  they  could  in  any  way  properly  cultivate  with  the  labor- 
ers at  their  command. 


CHAPTER  V. 


Potter,  Macomber,  Case. 

Nathaniel  Lord,  who  with  Benjamin  Randall  and  two 
others  was  baptized  by  Rev.  William  Hooper  on  the  day 
of  Mr.  Hooper's  ordination,  became  pastor  of  a  Baptist 
church  in  Wells.  Its  constituent  members  were  from 
converts  in  connection  with  Mr.  Lord's  evangelistic  labors, 
and  they  called  him  to  be  their  shepherd  and  guide.  The 
church  was  recognized  October  10,  1780,  by  a  council  con- 
vened at  Wells,  composed  of  delegates  from  the  churches 
in  Berwick,  Brentwood,  Stratham,  Epping,  Deerfield  and 
Sanford,  and  consisted  of  fourteen  members. 

In  Coxhall,  now  Lyman,  a  Baptist  church  of  twenty- 
nine  members  was  constituted  March  5,  1782,  in  the  dwell- 
ing house  of  Jacob  Rhodes  and  Simon  Locke.  The  latter, 
as  a  licensed  preacher,  had  aided  in  the  formation  of  the 
church,  and  was  ordained  as  its  pastor,  a  relation  which 
he  sustained  forty-nine  years.  A  faithful  preacher  of  the 
gospel,  he  lived  a  useful  life,  and  entered  into  rest  Sept.  6, 
1831. 

In  the  summer  of  1782,^  Rev.  Nathaniel  Lord  of  Wells,^ 
on  his  way  from  the  islands  of  the  Kennebec  where  he 
had  held  religious  services,  stopped  in  Potterstown  now 
Bowdoin  and  preached.    A  revival  had  been  in  progress  in 

*  "In  1781  there  was  no  appearance  of  any  Baptists  or  ministers  of  that  order  in  Maine, 
eastward  of  the  county  of  York.  In  1782  God  did  visit  these  ends  of  the  earth  in  mercy, 
and  many  reformations  were  experienced  in  our  towns  and  plantations."  Narration  of 
the  Experience,  Travels  and  Labours  of  Elder  James  Potter,  p.  25. 

2  "Of  the  early  life  of  Mr.  Lord,  we  have  no  information.  From  the  beginning  of  his 
ministry  with  this  church  [Wells]  till  death  closed  up  his  work  on  earth,  1832,  at  the  age 
of  78  years,  he  officiated  as  pastor  18  years  with  the  church  in  Wells,  and  28  with  the 
church  at  Berwick.  It  is  said  of  him  that  'he  was  eminently  useful  as  a  preacher  and 
pastor.'  The  last  sermon  he  preached  was  an  affectionate  address  to  his  brethren,  from 
the  words,  "See  that  ye  fall  not  out  by  the  way."  Millet's  History  of  the  Baptists  in 
Maine,  p.  36. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  63 

the  place  several  months.  Among  Mr.  Lord's  hearers  was 
James  Potter,  who  had  united  with  the  Congregational 
church  in  Harps  well,  but  by  his  subsequent  study  of  the 
Scriptures  had  been  led  to  embrace  Baptist  views,  both  as 
to  the  subjects  and  the  act  of  baptism.  "I  saw  myself 
unbaptized,"  wrote  Mr.  Potter  "and  all  others,  who  were 
not  baptized  by  immersion  upon  a  profession  of  faith." 
His  friends  labored  with  him.  "They  attempted  to 
prove,"  he  says,  "that  Enon  was  a  small  place  of  water, 
and  Jordan  not  more  than  ankle  deep."  But  he  was 
immovable  from  the  position  he  had  taken.  He  did  not, 
however,  at  once  withdraw  from  the  church  with  which 
he  was  connected.  Mr.  Lord  preached  twice  at  Potters- 
town.  "After  service  was  over,"  says  Mr.  Potter,^  "he 
went  out  and  sat  down  with  about  fifty  young  Christians 
around  him,  and  we  did  rejoice  and  praise  God  together. 
I  then  spoke  to  him,  and  informed  him  that  I  heard  he  was 
a  Baptist.  He  said  he  was.  I  desired  him  not  to  tell  one 
word  of  what  he  held  to,  because  they  say  I  am  a  Bap- 
tist—and I  will  relate  to  you  what  I  believe.  I  did  so, 
concerning  the  faith  and  order  of  the  primitive  church  of 
Christ,  as  I  received  it  from  the  Scriptures.  He  said  if  I 
believed  what  I  had  told  him,  I  was  a  Baptist,  for  I  had 
told  everything  the  Baptists  believe  and  hold. ' ' 

Mr.  Potter  was  at  that  time  forty-eight  years  of  age, 
having  been  born  in  Brunswick,  Feb.  22,  1734.  He  was  a 
prosperous  farmer,  a  man  of  influence,  and  his  conversion 
at  the  age  of  forty-seven  made  a  deep  impression  upon 
the  community  in  which  he  lived.  An  earnest  desire  that 
all  about  him  should  inherit  like  precious  faith  filled  his 
soul,  and  he  visited  his  neighbors  and  friends  urging  them 
to  accept  Christ  as  their  Saviour  and  Redeemer.  A  pow- 
erful revival  of  religion  followed.  The  work  extended  to 
other  towns.  Mr.  Potter  spent  a  week  in  Litchfield,  and 
a  work  of  grace  was  commenced  there.  Then  he  went  to 
the  southeast  part  of  Brunswick,  and  a  religious  interest 

'  Narration  of  the  Experience,  Travels  and  Labours  of  Elder  James  Potter,  p.  17. 


64  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

was  awakened  there.  Afterwards  he  visited  Bowdoin- 
ham,  where  he  preached  from  house  to  house,  and  "as 
many  as  forty  gave  satisfactory  evidence  of  a  change ; 
numbers  likewise  came  from  Pownalborough,  some  of 
whom  professed  to  find  peace."  Of  his  experiences  in 
these  evangelistic  labors  he  has  left  an  interesting  record. 
"I  found  in  every  place  that  I  visited,"  he  says,  "num- 
bers to  attend,  but  the  best  of  all  was  that  a  divine  power 
attended  to  awaken,  convince  and  convert  sinners.  To 
many  it  was  a  strange  thing,  to  see  such  a  worldling  leave 
his  business  and  become  a  preacher,  which  they  never  had 
seen  before.  Some  of  the  clergy  cavilled  much  with  me  : 
one  of  them  asked  me  if  I  thought  God  ever  sent  me  to 
preach?  I  answered  yes.  He  asked  when  I  spoke  to  the 
people,  if  I  called  it  preaching?  I  told  him  I  delivered 
what  was  given  me,  and  left  it  with  those  who  heard  me 
to  call  it  what  they  pleased.  He  asked  me  if  I  took  a  text 
of  Scripture?  I  answered  that  I  commonly  began  with  a 
text,  and  quoted  many  others  while  speaking.  If  (said 
he)  you  are  called  of  God,  why  do  you  not  work  miracles? 
I  answered  that  man  never  did  work  a  miracle,  but  Jesus 
Christ,  being  with  his  ministers,  works  miracles  by  them. 
I  then  asked  him  if  he  discovered  amongst  his  people 
those  who  confessed  they  had  been  trusting  to  refuges  of 
lies,  and  inquiring  what  they  should  do  to  be  saved? 
Others  who  had  been  wicked,  profane  persons,  becoming 
sober,  righteous  and  godly?  These,  I  told  him,  were  mir- 
acles which  God  wrought  by  his  ministers."^ 

About  the  same  time  in  which  Rev.  Nathaniel  Lord 
preached  in  Bowdoin  and  met  Mr.  Potter,  Mr.  Job  Macom- 
ber  of  Middleborough,  Mass.,  came  into  the  District  of 
Maine."  He  was  the  son  of  a  Congregational  deacon,  but 
in  1772  united  with  the  Baptist  church  in  Middleborough 

^  Narration  of  the  Experience,  Travels  and  Labours  of  Elder  James  Potter,  pp.  17,  18. 

^  In  1778,  Congress  having  assumed  appellate  jurisdiction  of  all  maritime  causes,  as 
incident  to  the  rights  of  making  peace  and  war,  divided  the  State  of  Massachusetts  into 
three  districts,  the  southern,  middle  and  northern.  The  northern  embraced  the  counties 
of  York,  Cumberland  and  Lincoln  and  acquired  the  distinctive  name,  "District  of  Maine," 
which  it  retained  until  the  separation. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  65 

of  which  Rev.  Isaac  Backus  was  pastor.  He  was  Hcensed 
by  the  church  to  preach  and  for  awhile  devoted  himself 
to  missionary  work  in  Massachusetts.  He  had  served  in 
the  French  and  Indian  War/  and  according  to  tradition  he 
served  as  a  chaplain  during  most  of  the  Revolutionary 
War.  In  the  autumn  of  1782,  he  came  to  Maine.  He 
preached  awhile  in  New  Gloucester,  and  in  the  diary  of 
Mr.  Backus,  under  date  of  Oct.  2,  1782,  is  the  following 
record:  "Elder  Nelson  and  Jeremiah  Basset  from  Taun- 
ton church,  and  Elder  Job  Seamans  and  Jacob  Newland 
from  Attleboro',  met  here  with  our  church,  to  consider  a 
request  from  the  Baptist  church  in  New  Gloucester,  that 
we  would  ordain  brother  Job  Macomber  as  a  gospel  min- 
ister. Upon  mature  deliberation,  we  found  that  their 
request  was  not  to  ordain  him  as  their  pastor,  and  we  had 
not  clearness  in  ordaining  him  as  a  minister  at  large,  and 
so  did  not  do  it." 

Early  in  December  Mr.  Macomber  visited  Parker's 
Island,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Kennebec.  Here  he  found 
trace  of  the  labors  of  Rev.  Nathaniel  Lord.  In  a  letter  to 
Mr.  Backus,  dated  Jan.  7,  1783,  he  writes:  "We  found 
there  had  been  a  great  and  marvelous  work  begun  about 
a  year  and  a  half  before ;  and  no  Baptist  minister  being 
nearer  than  Nathaniel  Lord,  hearing  of  them  he  went  to 
see  them  and  baptized  a  large  number.  I  cannot  now  give 
you  the  particulars,  but  they  informed  me  that  about  sixty 
had  been  baptized  on  this  island  and  on  another  some 
eight  miles  from  them." 

It  was  while  he  was  at  Parker's  Island  that  Mr. 
Macomber  heard  of  a  wonderful  work  of  grace  at  Potters- 
town,  and  he  hastened  thither,  arriving  Jan.  10,  1783.  In 
his  letter  to  Mr.  Backus,  Mr.  Macomber  says :  '  'We 
found  the  work  had  begun  eighteen  months  before,  and 
had  been  so  wonderful  among  men,  women  and  children, 
that  as  they  told  us,  there  were  none  left  in  the  town  to 

'  A  Fourth  of  July  poem  by  Mr.  Macomber,  delivered  July  4,  1806,  makes  mention  of 
his  war  experiences.    The  edition  in  the  possession  of  the  writer  of  this  volume  was 
published  in  1826. 
6 


66  HISTORY    OF    THE    BAPTISTS    IN    MAINE. 

oppose  them."  Here  Mr.  Macomber  met  James  Potter, 
who  told  him  '  'he  had  been  a  week  from  his  family  in  a 
town  called  Bowdoinham,  where  there  were  signs  of  a 
great  work,  some  in  almost  every  family  being  under  deep 
concern  for  their  souls."  In  this  way,  doubtless,  Mr. 
Macomber 's  thoughts  were  directed  for  the  first  time  to 
the  place  which  was  to  be  his  field  of  labor  to  the  close  of 
his  life. 

Mr.  Backus  read  Mr.  Macomber's  letter  to  Isaac  Case, 
who  was  impressed  with  the  needs  of  the  destitute  fields 
in  the  District  of  Maine.  Mr.  Case  was  born  in  Rehoboth, 
Mass. ,  Feb.  25,  1761.  Serious  thoughts,  he  tells  us,  were 
awakened  in  his  mind  when  he  was  about  nine  years  of 
age,  and  these  continued  until  he  was  eighteen,  when  he 
was  led  to  accept  Christ  as  his  Saviour  and  united  with  the 
Baptist  church  in  Dighton.  His  great  desire  now  was  to 
advance  the  cause  of  his  divine  Redeemer.  The  claims 
of  the  Christian  ministry  were  impressed  upon  him,  but 
he  looked  upon  himself  as  unqualified  for  the  work.  He 
could  read  with  difficulty,  and  how,  without  an  education, 
could  he  proclaim  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ?  His 
prayer,  nevertheless,  was,  *  'Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have  me 
to  do?"  He  received  some  encouragement  from  Joshua 
1:5,'  'There  shall  not  any  man  be  able  to  stand  before 
thee,  all  the  days  of  thy  life :  as  I  was  with  Moses,  so  I 
will  be  with  thee."  The  words  suggested  the  thought 
that  in  God  he  had  such  a  helper  as  the  great  leader  of 
Israel,  and  for  a  season  the  path  of  duty  was  made  plain. 
An  opportunity  was  soon  presented  in  which  he  made  a 
trial  of  his  gift.  A  meeting  was  appointed  in  a  small 
house  near  his  own  home,  and  he  was  invited  to  preach. 
So  many  came  together  that  the  house  could  not  contain 
the  people,  and  the  service  was  held  in  the  open  field. 
Mr.  Case  took  as  his  text  John  14:  17,  "Peace  I  leave 
with  you,  my  peace  I  give  unto  you :  not  as  the  world 
giveth,  give  I  unto  you."  In  his  own  account  of  this  ser- 
vice he  says:  "I  was  much  straitened,  and  got  through 
the  exercise  with  difficulty,  so  that  I  did  not  answer  my 


REV.    ISAAC   CASE. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  67 

own  mind,  nor  the  mind  of  my  hearers.  From  this  cir- 
cumstance, I  was  ready  to  conclude  that  I  was  mistaken 
respecting  my  duty,  and  was  deceived  in  my  exercise 
about  preaching."  He  did  not,  however,  wholly  relin- 
quish his  thoughts  concerning  the  ministry.  He  accepted 
other  invitations  to  preach,  but  as  his  efforts  were  still 
unsatisfactory  to  him,  he  searched  his  heart,  and  came  to 
the  conclusion  that  pride  ruled  it,  and  that  he  coveted  a 
greater  gift  than  he  possessed.  The  result  was  that  he 
resolved  to  use  the  gift  he  had  received  from  God,  and 
leave  the  result  with  him.  If  the  Lord  gave  him  only  ten 
words  he  would  speak  them,  and  if  he  was  pleased  to  give 
him  more  he  would  speak  them.  "Thus,"  he  says,  "I 
ventured  out,  not  having  on  Saul's  armor,  nor  with  the 
advantage  of  being  brought  up  at  the  feet  of  Gamaliel ; 
but  I  was  brought  down  to  the  feet  of  Christ,  and  was 
taught  of  him ;  was  furnished  with  the  sword  of  the 
Spirit,  which  is  the  word  of  God."^ 

Accordingly  Mr.  Case  went  from  place  to  place,  having 
at  times  a  good  degree  of  freedom  in  speaking  in  public, 
but  at  other  times  having  no  satisfaction  in  the  presenta- 
tion of  his  message.  He  visited  Cape  Cod  in  the  winter  of 
1780-1,  and  conversions  accompanied  his  labors  in  Har- 
wich and  Barnstable.  In  a  diary  kept  in  1783,  Mr.  Case 
records  his  labors  as  a  missionary  in  the  northern  part  of 
central  Massachusetts,  and  also  in  Vermont.  He  returned 
to  Rehoboth  about  the  last  of  June,  1783,  and  during 
July  he  was  again  with  the  brethren  at  Barnstable  and 
Harwich.  On  Monday,  August  18,  he  visited  Rev.  Isaac 
Backus  at  Middleborough.  It  was  doubtless  at  this  time 
that  Mr.  Backus  read  to  Mr.  Case  Mr.  Macomber's  letter. 
Its  tidings  stirred  his  soul.  In  this  letter  he  heard  a 
Macedonian  cry. 

As  yet,  however,  he  had  not  been  ordained,  and  a 
council  with  a  view  to  ordination  was  called  by  the 
Dighton  church  August  28,  the  council  to  be  held  Sep- 
tember 10.     The  delegates  came  together  on  that  day.     In 

*  Manuscript  narrative. 


68  HISTORY  OP  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

his  journal  Mr.  Case  says  :  "I  told  my  experience  and  call 
to  preach  the  gospel.  They  all  manifested  satisfaction. 
Elder  Thompson  [of  Swansea]  preached  the  sermon  from 
1.  Cor.  4.1,  and  then  Elder  Goff,  Elder  Simmons,  and 
Elder  Carpenter  laid  their  hands  upon  me  and  prayed. 
Elder  Carpenter  gave  me  a  solemn  charge.  Elder  Goff 
gave  me  the  hand  of  fellowship. " 

The  day  following,  having  parted  with  his  mother— his 
father  had  died  six  years  before— Mr.  Case  left  his  home 
in  Rehoboth  and  started  on  his  "journey  eastward." 
Some  time  was  spent  at  Newton  with  Elder  Blood.  At 
Haverhill  he  called  to  see  Rev.  Hezekiah  Smith,  and  took 
breakfast  with  him.  At  Brentwood,  N.  H. ,  he  found  that 
Dr.  Shepard  was  absent  from  home,  but  conversation  with 
his  wife  seems  to  have  lightened  the  burdens,  which,  as 
his  journal  shows,  the  journey  had  imposed  upon  him,  for 
he  says,  '  'I  found  her  to  be  one  who  loves  the  truth  ;  felt 
more  comfortable  in  mind.  The  Lord  was  pleased  to 
solemnize  my  heart,  and  enable  me  to  trust  in  him." 
Here,  and  in  the  vicinity,  Mr.  Case  remained  until  October 
7,  accepting  invitations  to  preach  which  came  to  him  from 
various  places.  Continuing  his  journey,  he  called  on  Rev. 
William  Hooper  at  Madbury.  In  Berwick  he  stopped  at 
the  widow  Lord's.  Two  of  her  sons  were  Baptist  minis- 
ters. "Nathaniel  lives  with  his  mother,"  he  records, 
"but  was  not  at  home,  having  gone  to  Kittery  with  Mr. 
Joseph  Crowell."  Thither  he  followed  and  heard  Mr. 
Crowell  preach.  He  also  accepted  frequent  invitations  to 
make  known  his  own  message.  "In  the  border  of  Fal- 
mouth, called  Stroudwater, "  he  attended  the  funeral  of  a 
child,  and  preached  a  sermon.  October  19,  he  was  in 
Gorham,  where  he  preached  "to  a  few  people  with  some 
freedom,"  but  he  had  little  satisfaction  in  preaching  or 
talking  with  them.  October  21,  he  reached  Brunswick. 
Hitherto  in  his  journey  he  had  found  a  resting  place  with 
his  brethren  in  the  Lord.  At  Brunswick  he  must  tarry 
for  the  night  at  the  public  house.  Brunswick  at  that  time 
was  a  small  hamlet.    Only  a  few  of  its  dwelling  houses 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  69 

were  painted.  It  had  as  yet  no  post  office.  "When  a 
letter  was  received  from  any  old  home  of  ancestors  in 
Massachusetts  it  was  brought  by  some  coaster  to  Maquoit, 
or  by  Richard  Kimball,  who  went  through  on  foot,  from 
Portland  to  Bath,  once  a  fortnight,  with  the  letters  in  his 
pocket,  a  costly  luxury,  which  only  the  few  could  afford  to 
receive  who  could  somehow  raise  the  two  shillings  eight 
pence  postage.  A  little  later,  Luke  Lombard  became  the 
more  pretentious  and  elevated  post  boy,  coming  on  horse- 
back, perhaps  bringing  a  welcome  copy  of  the  little  Boston 
Gazette,  of  coarse  brown  paper,  giving  what  might  be 
learned  of  their  victorious  Washington,  or  the  acts  of  the 
General  Court ;  leaving  the  paper  at  Esquire  Dunlap's 
grocery,  where  an  army  blanket  could  be  bought  for  four 
bushels  of  corn,  and  a  pound  of  tea  for  $1.50."^  Lamps, 
and  even  tallow  candles,  were  unknown ;  and  when  the 
young  missionary  was  shown  to  his  room,  a  pitch  pine 
knot  lighted  the  way.  The  next  morning,  inquiring  for 
some  pious  people  on  whom  he  might  call,  he  was  directed 
to  the  house  of  a  Mr.  Woodward,  at  New  Meadows.  Mr. 
Woodward  and  his  wife  received  him  cordially,  and  at 
their  request  Mr.  Case  preached  to  attentive  hearers  in 
the  afternoon,  and  also  in  the  evening. 

The  next  day  he  held  a  meeting  in  the  afternoon  at  Mr. 
Samuel  Getchell's  house.  Hearing  that  a  revival  of  reli- 
gion was  in  progress  on  Sebascodegan  Island,  Harps  well, 
he  made  his  way  thither.  In  the  darkness,  through  the 
woods,  where  the  trees  were  blown  down  across  the 
path,  he  pushed  forward,  and  reached  the  place  where 
the  meeting  was  held  about  the  time  it  was  to  begin. 
The  leader  insisted  that  Mr.  Case  should  preach.  The 
people  listened  to  the  young  stranger  with  eager  interest. 
Hearts  were  melted.  "The  Lord  sent  down  the  sweet 
effusions  of  his  blessed  Spirit,"  wrote  Mr.  Case;  and  he 
added  this  testimony,  "The  Lord  is  here  of  a  truth." 
Several  were  converted  whom  the  Spirit  reached  through 

'  Rev.  Dr.  A.  K.  P.  Small's  Discourse  at  the  Centennial  Anniversary  of  the  East  Bruns- 
wick Baptist  Church,  Sept.  8,  1886. 


70  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

this  sermon,  among  them  two  brothers,  Isaac  and  Ephraim 
Hall,  both  of  whom  became  useful  Baptist  ministers. 

On  the  following  day,  which  was  Friday,  he  preached  in 
the  Congregational  meeting-house,  forenoon  and  after- 
noon, to  large  congregations.  Then  he  returned  to  New 
Meadows,  where  he  met  Mr.  James  Potter. 

With  what  joy  Mr.  Potter  greeted  Mr.  Case  can  easily 
be  imagined.  "When  I  heard  him  relate  his  exercises  of 
mind  to  visit  these  parts,"  says  Mr.  Potter,  "I  rejoiced. 
I  heard  him  preach  with  engagedness  and  becoming  zeal 
for  the  cause  of  truth,  and  glorified  God  on  his  behalf.  I 
rejoiced  that  the  Lord  had  sent  him  amongst  us  to  preach 
the  gospel,  where  the  harvest  was  so  great  and  laborers 
so  few." 

On  the  Sunday  following  this  first  meeting,  Mr.  Case 
and  Mr.  Potter  attended  the  services  of  the  Congre- 
gational church  in  Harpswell.  Rev.  Samuel  Eaton,  who 
became  pastor  of  this  church  at  its  organization  in  1753, 
received  them  "rather  coolly,"  but  invited  Mr.  Case  to 
preach  in  the  afternoon.  In  the  evening  they  had  a  meet- 
ing in  a  private  house.'  The  work  on  Sebascodegan  Island 
now  became  general.  "In  almost  every  family, "  says  Mr. 
Case,  *  'some  were  weeping  in  the  bitterness  of  their  souls, 
others  rejoicing  in  hope." 

October  29,  Mr.  Case  visited  Bath,  where  Mr.  Potter's 
labors  had  resulted  in  a  work  of  grace.  '  1  found  a  great 
blessing,"  he  writes,  "in  following  Christ  in  the  ordi- 
nance." Returning  to  New  Meadows  and  Sebascodegan 
Island,  he  resumed  his  labors,  visiting  from  house  to 
house.  Tuesday,  Nov.  4,  was  observed  as  a  day  of  prayer, 
and  in  the  afternoon  Mr.  Case  baptized  a  woman,  the 
first  convert  he  had  baptized  in  Maine.  At  Georgetown 
he  heard  Mr.  Emerson  preach,  the  minister  of  the  town. 

^  In  the  records  of  the  parish  for  1784  there  is  an  item  which  gives  us  a  hint  in  refer- 
ence to  the  results  of  Mr.  Case's  labors  in  Harpswell.  At  a  meeting  of  the  church  held 
at  the  meeting-house  May  31,  1784,  it  was  voted  that  the  deacons  should  be  a  committee 
to  inspect  the  work  of  church  members,  and  that  the  pastor  had  liberty  "provided  he 
sees  his  way  clear,  to  baptize  by  immersion  those  who  conscientiously  desire  it,  provided 
they  give  satisfaction  to  the  church  of  their  faith  in  Christ  and  live  holy  lives." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  71 

"He  preached,"  wrote  Mr.  Case,  "as  if  he  knew  the 
truth.  "^  He  continued  his  evangehstic  labors  during  the 
remainder  of  the  year,  preaching  here,  also  at  Topsham, 
Potterstown,  Little  River,  Bowdoinham  and  Bath,  and 
baptizing  converts.  Six  were  baptized  by  him  at  Bow- 
doinham, Nov.  24,  1783. 

The  Revolutionary  War  had  now  come  to  a  close.  The 
definitive  treaty  of  peace  was  signed  at  Paris,  Sept.  3, 
1783.  The  cessation  of  hostilities  followed.  The  British 
forces  withdrew  from  our  shores,  and  the  American  army 
was  disbanded.  Only  a  small  part  of  the  territory  of 
the  District  of  Maine  had  as  yet  been  appropriated  by 
settlers,  but  the  eyes  of  thousands  were  now  directed 
thitherward.  To  encourage  soldiers  and  emigrants,  Mas- 
sachusetts offered  to  settlers  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres 
of  land  upon  the  rivers  and  navigable  waters  of  the  dis- 
trict at  one  dollar  per  acre,  or  one  hundred  acres  of  land 
elsewhere  to  anyone  who  would  clear  sixteen  acres  in  four 
years.  Many  Revolutionary  soldiers  availed  themselves  of 
this  offer,  and  the  population  of  the  district  now  rapidly 
increased. 

In  the  autumn  of  1783,  Mr.  Job  Macomber  took  up  a 
farm'  in  Bowdoinham,  and  brought  his  family  to  his  new 
home.     In  November  Mr.  Case  visited  Bowdoinham,  and 

'  Mr.  Emerson  was  ordained  July  3,  1765.  "In  the  midst  of  the  Revolutionary  War  his 
salary,  which  was  never  more  than  three  hundred  dollars,  was  paid  in  depreciated  paper 
money,  which  became  at  length  'of  little  value' :  the  public  burthens  and  expenses  lay 
heavily  upon  the  people  ;  the  towns  and  settlements  on  large  rivers  and  navigable  waters 
were  exposed  to  every  annoyance  of  the  enemy,  and  Mr.  Emerson  was  consequently 
absent  from  his  people  about  four  years.  As  soon,  however,  as  the  voice  of  peace  was 
heard,  he  returned  to  the  bosom  of  his  charge.  May  1,  1783.  He  continued  his  ministerial 
labors  till  1811,  when  he  received  assistance  from  Rev.  Samuel  Sewall,  previously  of  Edge- 
comb.  He  died  Nov.  9,  1815,  in  the  eightieth  year  of  his  age."  William  D.  Williamson 
in  Collections  and  Proceedings  of  the  Maine  Historical  Society,  Second  Series,  Vol.  6, 
pp»  312-314. 

'  "Probably  his  first  home  in  Bowdoinham  was  the  farm  now  owned  by  Captain 
Andrew  Curtis,  a  mile  and  a  half  west  of  the  village.  Captain  Curtis  has  kindly  pre- 
sented to  the  writer  the  deed  by  which  Mr.  M.  sold  this  farm  in  1801,  with  signatures 
perfect ;  also  showed  him  the  location  of  the  house  and  the  huge  stone  heaps  laid  by  Mr. 
Macomber.  He  afterward  owned  a  farm  one  mile  northeast  of  Harward's  Station,  his 
grandsons  tell  us ;  also  that  he  gave  the  proceeds  of  this  one  to  an  unworthy  son  with 
whom  he  lived  awhile  at  the  village,  but  who  cast  off  his  aged  father  to  be  a  town 
pauper  ;   that  the  other  children  gave  him  a  home ;   that  he  died  at  the  home  of  a  son.  a 


72  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

near  the  close  of  the  month  he  baptized  six  persons,  who 
were  the  first  to  receive  the  ordinance  in  this  place.  Mr. 
Case  relates  the  following  instance  as  connected  with  this 
baptismal  season.  "After  baptizing  five  persons  who  had 
been  previously  received  as  candidates,  a  woman  came 
forward  to  the  water  and  desired  baptism.  She  was 
informed  that  if  she  believed  in  Christ  with  all  her  heart 
she  might.  She  then  related  what  the  Lord  had  done  for 
her  soul,  which  relation  evinced  that  she  had  experienced 
a  work  of  renewing  and  saving  grace,  and  consequently 
she  was  received  as  a  proper  subject  of  baptism.  While 
preparing  to  go  down  into  the  water,  her  husband  came 
forward,  filled  with  anger  and  great  rage,  and  threatened 
to  kill  himself  if  his  wife  was  baptized.  The  husband  was 
warned  of  his  guilt  and  danger,  and  the  wife  was  bap- 
tized, and  instead  of  suicide,  the  man  was  slain  by  the 
law  of  God  and  then  made  alive  by  the  blood  of  Christ."^ 
The  religious  interest  in  the  place  continued,  and  a  Bap- 
tist church  was  organized  May  24,  1784.  The  town  rec- 
ords show  that  Mr.  Macomber  was  chosen  "town  min- 
ister" at  times  between  1792  and  1796.  He  also  supplied 
in  Topsham. 

Mr.  Macomber  was  ordained  as  pastor  of  the  Bowdoin- 
ham  church  August  18,  1784.  The  ordination  occurred  in 
the  open  air  on  a  stage  erected  for  the  occasion.  Rev. 
Isaac  Case  preached  the  sermon,  and  Rev.  Simon  Locke 
assisted  in  the  service. 

Mr.  Case  meanwhile  had  turned  his  face  to  the  east- 
ward. He  left  Sebascodegan  Island  Jan.  21,  1784.  After 
stopping  at  Bath  to  preach,  he  crossed  the  Kennebec  on 
the  ice  Jan.  24,  and  preached  at  Woolwich  in  the  evening. 
Continuing  his  journey  he  preached  at  Newcastle,  Dama- 
riscotta,  Broad  Bay  (Waldoboro),  and  reached  Thomaston 

mile  north  of  Richmond  Comer,  and  was  buried  beside  his  wife,  in  a  neighboring  yard. 
The  association  contributed  to  his  support,  and  recommended  the  churches  to  do  the 
same  in  the  last  years  of  his  life."  Rev.  E.  S.  Small,  Centennial  Review  of  Bowdoinham 
Association,  pp.  6  and  7.  Mr.  Macomber  died  sometime  between  September,  1820,  and 
September,  1821. 
'  Case's  Journal,  Millet's  History  of  the  Baptists  in  Maine,  pp.  93,  94. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  73 

on  Friday,  Jan.  30.  Here  he  found  a  few  pious  souls  who 
had  spent  the  day  in  prayer  and  fasting  in  view  of  his 
coming.  The  next  day  he  preached  in  the  afternoon. 
Three  souls  were  awakened  at  that  first  service.  On  the 
following  day,  which  was  the  Sabbath,  the  house  where 
he  preached— the  dwelling  house  of  Mr.  Oliver  Robbins, 
whose  wife  was  the  only  Baptist  he  found  in  the  region— 
was  crowded  with  eager  listeners.  In  less  than  three 
weeks  a  powerful  work  of  grace  was  in  progress.  The 
first  baptism  was  on  Feb.  26,  when  fifteen  were  baptized, 
March  12,  sixteen  others  followed.  In  April,  twenty-five 
were  baptized,  and  May  23,  six  others.  In  a  letter  dated 
June  22,  1784,  Mr.  Case  wrote:  "I  think  I  have  seen 
more  of  the  power  and  glory  of  our  God  since  I  have  been 
in  these  parts,  than  ever  I  saw  before,  poor  shelterless 
souls  fleeing  to  Christ  for  shelter,  and  praising  the  Lord 
for  free  grace  through  the  merits  of  Christ's  righteous- 
ness, which  runs  down  our  streets  like  a  mighty  stream. 
The  eyes  of  the  blind  are  opened,  and  the  ears  of  the  deaf 
are  unstopped." 

Among  those  baptized  was  Elisha  Snow.^  He  had  been 
a  prominent  business  man,  had  built  vessels  and  owned 
many.  Though  now  in  middle  life,  he  left  all  to  follow 
Christ.  His  children  shared  in  the  wonderful  work.  One 
of  his  daughters,  Joanna  Snow,  then  seventeen  years  of 
age,  was  among  the  converts,  and  June  26,  1785,  she 
became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Case.     When  her  brothers  made 

'  "Twenty-two  years  before  this  date  [1789],  nine  years  before  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence, Elisha  Snow  had  left  his  home  in  Harpswell  for  Wessaweskeagr,  now  South 
Thomaston,  to  engage  in  lumbering.  He  bought  a  tract  of  one  thousand,  seven  hun- 
dred and  fifty  acres  of  land.  There  he  built  a  sawmill,  and  afterward  a  gristmill.  After 
four  years,  in  1771,  he  moved  his  family  to  that  place.  His  business  prospered.  .  .  . 
He  had  a  store,  and  as  a  matter  of  course  was  a  licensed  'retailer  of  spirits.'  Meantime, 
settlers  were  flowing  into  the  town  of  Thomaston,  which  was  incorporated  in  1777. 
Many  of  the  settlers  were  from  the  north  of  Ireland,  and  therefore  the  first  parish  was  of 
the  Presbyterian  order.  But  no  minister  had  been  settled.  At  a  town  meeting  in  1783, 
Mr.  Snow  was  chosen  to  get  the  first  parish  minister.  None  had  been  obtained,  how- 
ever, and  no  religious  society  had  been  organized,  when  Mr.  Case  arrived.  .  .  .  He 
immediately  begkn  to  preach  in  his  own  town  and  vicinity,  co-operating  with  his  pastor 
in  touring.  Four  years  later,  June  11,  1788,  Backus  says,  he  was  ordained  as  an  itinerant 
minister  at  Harpswell.  .  .  .  Mr.  Snow  lived  to  be  ninety-three  years  old,  and  died  in 
1832."    Rev.  E.  S.  Small's  Centennial  Review  of  Bowdoinham  Association,  pp.  11,  12. 


74  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

objection  to  the  marriage  of  their  sister  to  a  man  without 
property,  Mr.  Snow  replied,  "He  is  the  son  of  a  King." 
Mr.  Snow  entered  upon  the  work  of  the  ministry,  and 
became  a  faithful,  fearless  preacher  of  the  Word. 

A  church  of  fifty  members  was  organized  May  27.  The 
company  assembled  in  Oliver  Robbins'  barn.  Mr.  Case 
was  moderator,  and  Samuel  Brown,  clerk.  Articles  of 
faith  were  adopted,  and  the  members  received  from  the 
moderator  the  hand  of  fellowship.  Fourteen  were  bap- 
tized that  day.  Mr.  Case  was  elected  pastor  of  the 
church.  The  services,  held  at  first  in  a  private  house, 
were  soon  adjourned  to  the  barn  in  order  to  accommodate 
the  increasing  crowds  that  flocked  to  hear,  and  baptisms 
followed  in  rapid  succession. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


The  New  Hampshire  Association. 

The  desire  for  associational  fellowship  was  manifested 
very  early  by  the  Baptist  churches  in  the  District  of 
Maine.  The  Warren  Baptist  Association '  in  Rhode  Island, 
organized  in  1767,  was  too  remote  for  more  than  an  occa- 
sional visit  by  one  of  the  Maine  pastors.  Nor  at  first  were 
there  enough  Baptist  churches  in  the  district  to  warrant 
the  formation  of  an  association.  But  across  the  border,  in 
New  Hampshire,  at  Brentwood,  there  was  a  thrifty,  grow- 
ing Baptist  church,  and  in  connection  with  this  church 
the  churches  in  Berwick  and  Sanford  organized  in  1776  a 
conference,  called,  according  to  Millet,"  "the  Brentwood 
Conference. ' '  Out  of  this  conference,  of  which  Dr.  Shep- 
ard  of  Brentwood  and  Rev.  William  Hooper  of  Berwick 
were  the  principal  promoters,  grew  the  New  Hampshire 
Association  in  1785.  ^ 

'  The  Warren  Association,  for  nine  years  after  its  organization,  was  the  only  Baptist 
association  in  New  England. 

'  History  of  the  Baptists  in  Maine,  p.  73.  The  Brentwood  church,  which  was  organ- 
ized in  May,  1771,  with  only  thirteen  members,  had  in  1813  increased  its  membership, 
according  to  Benedict  (Vol.  1,  320),  to  almost  seven  hundred,  including  in  its  membership 
five  branches,  Epping,  Lee  and  Nottingham,  Hawke  and  Hampstead,  Northwood  and 
Salisbury.  These  branches  extended  over  a  territory  whose  diameter  was  upwards  of 
thirty  miles  and  whose  circumference  was  not  far  from  a  hundred.  Brentwood  was 
their  Jerusalem,  where  "like  a  bishop,  in  the  midst  of  his  diocese,"  resided  the  venerable 
elder.  Dr.  Shepard,  the  pastor  of  this  extensive  flock.  Benedict  adds  :  "This  widespread 
church,  not  long  since,  projected  a  plan  of  becoming  an  association  by  itself.  This  plan 
has  not  yet  been  carried  into  effect,  and  it  would  certainly  be  a  preposterous  measure. 
For  what  is  an  association,  according  to  the  Baptist  phraseology,  but  an  assembly  of 
churches?    But  the  Brentwood  church  proposes  to  associate  with  itself." 

*  Backus,  in  his  History  of  the  Baptists  of  New  England  (Vol.  2,  p.  411,  Ed.  of  1871). 
says  :  "The  New  Hampshire  Association  began  in  1776."  Backus  was  well  informed  in 
reference  to  our  early  New  England  Baptist  history,  and  as  will  be  seen  below  had  per- 
sonal knowledge  with  reference  to  the  fact  he  here  records.  But  Asplund,  in  his  Uni- 
versal Register  of  the  Baptist  Denomination,  published  in  Boston  in  1794,  shortly  after 
Backus  published  his  history,  says  (p.  8)  that  the  New  Hampshire  Association  was  organ- 
ized in  1785.     Asplund  was  a  careful  gatherer  of  statistics,  and  in  collecting  materials 


76  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

The  meeting  of  the  conference  or  association  in  1784 
was  at  Berwick.  Six  churches,  with  nearly  four  hundred 
members,  were  then  connected  with  it.  In  1785,  the 
meeting  was  at  Northwood,  N.  H. ;  in  1786,  unknown  ;  in 
1787  at  Brentwood,  N.  H.;  in  1788  in  Stratham,  N.  H.; 
in  1789  at  Berwick,  June  10th  and  11th.  The  Minutes 
of  1789,— an  imperfect  copy,  however,— are  in  possession 
of  York  Association,  and  are  the  earliest  the  writer  has 
seen.  Of  the  eight  churches  then  comprising  the  associa- 
tion, five— Berwick,  Wells,  Sanford,  Coxhall  (Lyman)  and 
Shapleigh— were  in  the  District  of  Maine,  and  Brentwood, 
Northwood  and  Gilmanton  were  in  New  Hampshire.  The 
total  membership  was  470,  the  New  Hampshire  churches 
having  244  members,  or  a  little  more  than  one-half  of  the 
membership  of  the  association.  Rev.  Samuel  Shepard  was 
elected  moderator  of  the  association,  and  Rev.  William 
Hooper,  clerk.  Dr.  Shepard  preached  the  introductory 
sermon  from  1  Samuel  17  :  29.  Rev.  William  Hooper  pre- 
pared the  Circular  Letter.  In  the  letter  the  low  state 
of  religion  in  the  churches  is  lamented.  The  statistics, 
meagre  as  they  are,  reveal  the  fact  that  in  the  decade 
then  closing,    the    Baptist  movement  had  made  only  a 

for  his  valuable  work  he  visited  Maine  and  made  personal  investigations.  The  solution 
of  the  problem  presented  by  these  different  statements  is  doubtless  to  be  found  in  Ben- 
edict's General  History  of  the  Baptist  Denomination  in  America.  He  does  not  raise  any 
question  as  to  the  true  date,  but  referring  to  the  New  Hampshire  Baptist  Association 
(Vol.  1,  p.  319,  Ed.  of  1813),  he  says :  "This  body  was  begun  under  the  name  of  a  confer- 
ence in  1776,  and  did  not  assume  the  name  and  standing  of  an  association  until  1785." 
Referring  to  the  part  Dr.  Shepard  and  Mr.  Hooper  took  in  the  formation  of  the  confer- 
ence. Dr.  Benedict  says :  "At  their  first  interview  they  were  visited  by  Mr.  Backus,  the 
historian,  who  was  then  traveling  through  the  country."  This  statement  is  important 
in  connection  with  Mr.  Backus'  date  of  the  organization  of  the  association.  He  was 
present  when  the  conference  was  formed  in  1776,  and  he  regarded  that  as  the  beginning 
of  the  association.  There  doubtless  was  a  formal  organization  in  1785,  as  Benedict  sug- 
gests, but  he  was  wrong,  it  would  seem,  in  saying  that  the  conference,  begun  in  1776, 
did  not  assume  the  name  of  an  association  until  1785,  for  in  the  Minutes  of  the  Warren 
Association  for  1784  occurs  the  following :  "A  letter  was  received  from  the  New  Hamp- 
shire Association,  consisting  of  six  churches,  containing  nearly  four  hundred  members, 
by  the  hand  of  Elder  William  Hooper,  who  gave  a  clear  and  satisfactory  account  of  their 
faith  and  order.  They  were  received  into  a  brotherly  connection  with  us,  and  Elder 
Edmund  Pilsbury  from  thence  was  also  received  to  act  with  us.  Their  next  meeting  is 
to  be  at  Northwood  on  the  second  Wednesday  in  June  next,  and  Elder  Hezekiah  Smith 
and  Thos.  Guir  are  appointed  as  messengers  to  them."  Of  course  it  is  possible  that  the 
word  association  was  used  as  a  general  term  and  not  with  reference  to  the  actual  fact. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  77 

slight  advance  in  the  towns  between  Portsmouth  and 
Falmouth. 

The  church  at  Shapleigh  was  admitted  to  the  associa- 
tion at  this  meeting  in  Berwick.  The  town  of  Shapleigh 
was  incorporated  under  its  present  name  in  1785.  But 
before  this  time,  among  the  first  settlers,  a  pioneer  reli- 
gious work  was  done  by  Elder  Tozer  Lord  and  Mr.  Abra- 
ham Pugsley,  who  assembled  the  people  for  public  worship 
in  barns  and  private  houses.  At  length  Mr.  Nehemiah 
Davis  settled  in  the  place,  and  as  he  was  accustomed  to 
preach  he  took  charge  of  the  meetings.  In  1787,  Mr. 
Davis  was  ordained  as  a  Baptist  minister  in  the  dwelling 
house  of  Edmund  Coffin,  near  the  corner.  At  Berwick  in 
1789,  the  church  reported  a  membership  of  twenty-three, 
with  Nehemiah  Davis  ^  as  pastor,  and  Abraham  Pugsley  as 
deacon. 

At  this  meeting  of  the  association  a  question  was 
asked  by  the  messenger  from  the  church  in  North  word, 
"Whether  a  member,  neglecting  his  attendance  on  the 
ordinance  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  repeated,  ought  to  be 
suspended  when  he  pleads  darkness  of  mind,  and  his  want 
of  a  suitable  sense  of  religion  as  an  excuse."  In  answer 
there  is  this  record :  "It  is  the  judgment  of  this  associa- 
tion that  we  ought  as  members  of  the  church  of  Christ  to 
act  as  rational  creatures  respecting  his  ordinances ;  and 
as  he  has  left  the  institution  of  his  Supper  to  be  observed 
in  his  church  until  his  second  coming,  and  enjoined  it  upon 
them  to  do  it  in  remembrance  of  him,  it  follows  that  we 
ought,  as  worthy  receivers,  to  have  a  suitable  sense  of  the 
nature  and  importance  of  that  sacred  ordinance  upon  our 
hearts  ;   yet  we  do  not  think  it  absolutely  necessary  to 

'  Rev.  E.  L.  Krumreig,  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  church  in  Shapleigh,  in  an  Historical 
Address,  Aug.  25,  1901.  says  Mr.  Davis  moved  into  the  place  in  1780  "and  took  the  lead  of 
the  religious  meetings,  which  resulted  in  the  forming  of  a  church,  with  deacons  and 
clerk,  in  1781. "  It  is  to  be  noted,  however,  that  in  the  statistical  tables  of  the  early  Minutes 
of  the  New  Hampshire  Association,  chronologically  arranged,  the  Shapleigh  church  fol- 
lows the  Coxhall  church,  which  was  organized  in  1782.  In  1798  Mr.  Davis  sold  his  farm 
and  moved  to  Ohio.  A  division  of  the  flock  followed  soon  after  on  account  of  "FVeewill 
doctrine,"  and  the  Baptist  church,  somewhat  weakened,  took  the  name  of  the  "Baptist 
church  at  Shapleigh  Comer"  in  1801,  and  appointed  a  committee  to  make  arrangements 
for  building  a  meeting-house.    Mr.  Krumreig's  Historical  Address,  pp.  13,  14. 


78  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

have  an  extraordinary  impulse  or  impression  made  on  the 
mind,  in  order  to  qualify  us  for  being  worthy  communi- 
cants. But  at  the  same  time,  we  think  those  who  plead 
darkness  of  mind,  and  want  of  a  due  sense  of  religion, 
ought  not  to  be  suspended,  but  rather  to  be  labored  with 
in  the  spirit  of  love  and  meekness  to  bring  them  to  a 
proper  sense  of  their  duty. " 

In  the  following  year,  1790,  the  New  Hampshire  Asso- 
ciation met  June  9th,  at  Gilmanton,  N.  H.  The  number  of 
churches  and  ministers  reported  was  the  same  as  in  the 
previous  year,  but  there  was  a  net  gain  of  sixteen  mem- 
bers. The  following  question  was  asked  at  this  meeting : 
"Whether  it  is  the  duty  of  Christians,  having  the  gift  of 
singing,  to  learn  themselves,  and  instruct  their  children  in 
the  art  of  Psalmody,  so  that  that  part  of  divine  worship 
maybe  performed  with  more  decency  and  good  order?" 
This  question  was  answered  unanimously  in  the  affirma- 
tive. Among  those  present  at  the  association  was  Rev. 
Thomas  Baldwin  of  Canaan,  N.  H.,  and  with  Zebadiah 
Richardson  he  prepared  the  Circular  Letter,  exhorting 
Christians  to  love  and  good  works.  A  fev/  weeks  later, 
while  on  a  visit  to  Massachusetts,  Mr.  Baldwin  received  a 
call  to  the  pastorate  of  the  Second  Baptist  church  in  Bos- 
ton, and  in  November  following  he  entered  upon  his  long 
and  useful  ministry  in  the  New  England  metropolis. 

In  1791,  the  association  met  in  Brentwood,  June  8th  and 
9th.  Rev.  Hezekiah  Smith  of  Haverhill  was  present,  and 
was  chosen  moderator.  Reference  was  made  in  the  Circu- 
lar Letter  to  "the  glorious  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit" 
in  different  parts  of  the  land.  The  churches  in  the  asso- 
ciation, still  eight  in  number,  had  shared  in  the  blessing 
and  reported  a  net  gain  of  sixty  members  and  a  total 
membership  of  546. 

A  still  greater  blessing  was  shared  by  these  churches  in 
the  following  year.  When  the  association  met  in  Deer- 
field  June  13,  1792,  the  membership  was  807,  a  gain  of  261. 

Hardly  less  noteworthy  was  the  gain  reported  at  the 
meeting  of  the  association  in  Northwood,  June  12  and  13, 


HISTORY  OF  THE    BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  79 

1793.  Three  churches  were  received  into  the  association, 
all  of  them  from  the  District  of  Maine,  viz. ,  the  churches 
in  Waterborough,  Francisborough  (Cornish)  and  Frye- 
burg,  and  the  total  membership  was  1,066.  The  church  in 
Waterborough  was  organized  Oct.  27,  1791,  in  the  house  of 
Nathaniel  Haines,  with  eight  members.  The  pastor  of  the 
church  in  Coxhall  and  one  delegate  and  the  pastor  of  the 
church  in  Shapleigh  and  one  delegate  formed  the  council. 
Rev.  Henry  Smith  became  pastor  of  the  church  in  1794. 
Among  the  original  settlers  in  Francisborough  (Cornish) 
were  several  Baptists  from  Sanford.  Meetings  were  held, 
converts  were  made  and  a  branch  of  the  church  in  San- 
ford was  instituted.  In  1792,  this  branch  was  recognized 
as  a  regular  Baptist  church,  with  J.  Allen  and  Andrew 
Sherburne  as  deacons.^  Mr.  Sherburne,  later,  became  pas- 
tor of  the  Baptist  church  in  Kennebunkport.  Millet"  says 
there  was  a  Baptist  church  in  Fryeburg  as  early  as  1787, 
of  which  Rev.  Z.  Richardson  was  pastor. 

Rev.  Hezekiah  Smith  of  Haverhill  was  present  at  the 
meeting  of  the  New  Hampshire  Association  in  1793, 
preached  the  associational  sermon  and  was  elected  moder- 
ator. In  the  Circular  Letter,  written  by  Rev.  John  Peak, 
there  is  this  reference  to  the  state  of  religion  in  the 
churches:  "Trust  prevails,  our  churches  revive,  converts 

'  It  was  eigrht  years  before  the  hardy  settlers,  who  were  the  founders  of  the  Cornish 
church,  were  able  to  build  a  meeting-house.  Dr.  Cyrus  Snell  drafted  the  plan  and  Dea. 
Noah  Jewett,  who  had  been  a  carpenter  in  New  Hampshire  before  he  became  a  settler  in 
Cornish,  had  charge  of  the  erection  of  the  building,  a  task  requiring  four  full  years. 
The  work  was  done  by  slow,  hand  labor.  "Every  board  and  clapboard  was  hand  planed. 
Every  door,  window  frame  and  sash  was  handmade.  The  entire  interior  was  sealed  with 
pine  lumber  hand  planed  in  panel  fashion.  Not  a  trowel  full  of  mortar  was  used,  for  not 
an  inch  of  it  was  plastered,  nor  was  there  any  chimney  or  any  possible  means  of  warm- 
ing the  building.  The  house  was  two  stories  in  height,  with  enoi-mous  galleries  upon 
their  sides,  and  was  intended  to  afford  a  seat  for  every  man,  woman  and  child  in  town. 
The  Dulpit  was  something  like  an  ornamental  beehive,  high  above  the  pews,  entrance  to 
which  was  gained  by  a  flight  of  narrow,  steep  stairs.  Entering  the  pulpit  the  minister 
closed  a  heavy  door  and  sat  down,  the  seat  being  so  low  and  the  pulpit  so  high  that  when 
seated  he  could  not  be  seen  by  any  member  of  the  congregation.  Over  the  pulpit, 
suspended  in  part  by  a  big  rod  of  iron,  was  a  prodigious  sounding-board.  In  front  of  the 
pulpit  were  the  deacons'  seats,  places  of  high  dignity  and  importance."  This  description 
of  the  Cornish  meeting-house  is  from  an  article  in  Zion's  Advocate  March  2,  1904,  by 
L.  W.  Small  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  who  is  a  native  of  Cornish.  The  description  is  doubtless 
that  of  the  better  class  of  meeting-houses  in  Maine  one  hundred  years  ago. 

*  History  of  the  Baptists  in  Maine,  p.  45; 


80  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

are  multiplied,  additions  are  daily  made  to  the  churches  of 
such  as  we  hope  shall  be  saved,  and  the  spirit  of  persecu- 
tion is  not  suffered  to  rage  as  heretofore." 

This  record  appears  in  the  Minutes:  "Whereas  there 
are  some  persons  baptized  that  have  not  given  themselves 
members  of  any  particular  church,  and  live  in  neglect  of 
the  holy  ordinance  of  the  Supper, 

"Voted,  It  is  our  opinion,  that  it  is  the  duty  of 
ordained  elders  that  baptize,  to  hold  in  their  fellowship, 
and  as  members  of  their  particular  churches,  all  persons 
by  them  baptized,  until  dismissed  to  some  other  church  of 
the  same  faith  and  order— and  not  to  baptize  strangers 
belonging  nigh  to  another  Baptist  church,  without  some 
special  reason  can  be  given." 

In  1794,  the  New  Hampshire  Association  was  held  in 
Gilmanton,  N.  H.  The  churches  represented  were  the 
same  as  in  the  preceding  year,  except  that  Francisborough 
appears  as  Cornish,  and  the  church  in  Salisbury,  with 
Elias  Smith  as  pastor,  was  received  into  the  association 
and  added  to  the  list,  making  twelve  churches  with  nine 
ministers  and  1,126  members.  Answers  to  two  questions 
were  requested  :  '  'The  church  in  North  wood  wish  to  know 
the  opinion  of  this  association  respecting  those  who  are 
by  some  called  ruling  elders  in  our  churches ;  and  con- 
fess themselves  at  a  loss,  whether  there  were  any  other 
officers  in  the  apostles'  days  more  than  those  who  were 
ordained  to  preach  the  gospel,  and  deacons  to  serve  tables. 
Answer.  It  is  the  opinion  of  this  association  that  ruling 
eldership  in  distinction  from  teaching  eldership  is  a  scrip- 
tural example.  In  proof  of  which  opinion  we  refer  you  to 
Timothy  5 :  17,  'Let  the  elders  that  rule  well  be  counted 
worthy  of  double  honor,  especially  they  who  labor  in  word 
and  doctrine. '  Here  appears  to  be  a  distinction  between 
those  who  both  rule  and  teach,  and  those  who  rule  only. 
And  that  there  is  a  difference  between  this  office  and  that 
of  deacons,  the  duty  and  character  of  whom  are  particu- 
larly pointed  out  in  Acts  6 : 1,  2,  3,  4  and  1  Timothy  3 : 8, 
&c.,  of  whom,  however,  nothing  is  said  about  ruling." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  81 

"A  question  of  the  church  of  Cornish  was  proposed, 
viz.,  whether  there  be  any,  and  what  is  the  difference 
between  foreordination  and  foreknowledge.  Answer.  If 
there  is  any  difference,  it  is  the  opinion  of  this  association 
that  it  consists  in  this,  viz.,  that  the  scriptural  idea  of 
foreordination  implies  a  divine  appointment,  or  decree, 
which  necessarily  involves  the  purpose  of  divine  agency  in 
bringing  about  such  appointment.  And  that  foreknowl- 
edge implies  a  full  and  perfect  understanding  of  events 
hereafter  to  take  place,  so  that  there  can  be  no  mistake 
in  such  knowledge,  and  therefore  such  events  take  place 
without  fail,  otherwise  there  would  be  a  mistake  in  him 
that  is  said  to  foreknow  ;  and  of  consequence  it  would 
cease  to  be  foreknowledge.  But  yet,  however,  it  is  not 
supposed  that  foreknowledge  always  implies  purpose  of 
agency  to  bring  about  such  events  ;  but  a  full  and  perfect 
knowledge  of  such  beings  as  are  the  supposed  agents  ;  so 
that  foreordination  and  foreknowledge  both  precede  cer- 
tain events  (probably)  with  this  difference,  however,  that 
foreordination  supposes  determination  to  bring  about  the 
supposed  event  by  the  immediate  agency  of  him  that 
foreordains.  Foreknowledge  does  not  always  imply  self- 
agency  in  bringing  about  the  event,  but  a  foreknowledge 
of  the  agent  and  event." 

June  10,  1795,  the  association  met  in  Salisbury  and  Rev. 
Eliphalet  Smith  preached  from  Eph.  3 :  20,  21.  It  was 
voted  to  join  in  the  concert  of  prayer  proposed  and  rec- 
ommended by  the  ministers  of  several  denominations  '  'on 
the  first  Tuesday  in  every  quarter,  at  two  o'clock  P.  M., 
beginning  with  January."  A  Circular  Letter  was  read 
and  approved,  but  as  the  author  failed  to  hand  it  to  the 
clerk,  the  clerk  inserted  in  the  Minutes  one  prepared  by 
himself. 

The  next  meeting  of  the  association  was  held  at  Mad- 
bury,  June  8  and  9,  1796.  Rev.  Hezekiah  Smith  of  Haver- 
hill, Mass.,  was  chosen  moderator.  The  church  in  New- 
ton was  received  into  the  association.  At  this  meeting 
the  churches  in  the  District  of  Maine,  Berwick,  Sanford, 


82  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

Wells,  Coxhall,  Shapleigh,  Waterborough,  Cornish  and 
Fryeburg,  presented  a  request  for  "dismission  to  be  set 
off  as  a  sister  association."  The  request  was  referred  to 
a  committee  selected  from  delegates  not  connected  with 
the  New  Hampshire  Association,  viz.,  "Elders  Hezekiah 
Smith,  Isaac  Case  and  John  Crockett,"  who  decided  "that 
all  things  considered,  it  would  not  be  for  the  glory  of  God 
and  the  prosperity  of  Zion :  there  to  remain  in  one  com- 
pact associated  body  we  think  will  be  a  strong  barrier 
against  the  inroads  of  an  insidious  enemy,  who  delights 
in  dividing  and  sowing  the  seeds  of  discord ;  and  also  of 
establishing  the  cause  of  the  Redeemer  in  the  world.  As 
we  have  weighed  the  reasons  for  and  against  the  division, 
we  hope  the  result  of  our  deliberations  will  be  agreeable 
to  the  feelings  of  our  brethren,  and  will  finally  issue  in  the 
promotion  of  that  cause,  which  should  be  dearer  to  us  than 
our  very  lives." 

This  action  evidently  gave  expression  to  the  firm  convic- 
tion of  Rev.  Hezekiah  Smith,  who  had  ever  taken  a  deep 
interest  in  the  association,  and  whose  hand  is  easily  recog- 
nized in  the  vote  as  recorded.  Notwithstanding,  there- 
fore, the  firm  convictions  of  those  who  favored  a  division 
of  the  association,  it  was  voted  to  postpone  the  request  of 
the  Maine  churches  until  the  next  meeting  of  the  asso- 
ciation. Similar  action  was  taken  by  the  association  at 
Waterborough  in  1797. 

Two  newly  organized  churches  from  the  District  of 
Maine,  Limerick  and  Parsonsfield  and  Newfield,  were 
added  to  the  association  in  1797.  Limerick  reported 
twenty-eight  members  and  Parsonsfield  and  Newfield 
fifty-one.  According  to  Millet,  the  church  in  Parsons- 
field was  gathered  about  the  year  1792,  and  Levi  Chad- 
bourn  became  pastor.  His  labors  extended  to  Limerick 
and  Newfield.  As  early  as  1788  there  were  Baptists  in 
Limerick,  and  in  that  year  they  were  awarded  their  share 
of  the  town  tax  for  preaching.  A  Baptist  meeting-house 
was  erected  in  1792,  and  it  is  thought  that  the  Baptists 
in  Limerick  became  a  branch  of  the  Parsonsfield  church 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  83 

in  1793.  Three  years  later  measures  were  adopted  for 
the  organization  of  a  Baptist  church  in  Limerick.  Such 
an  organization  was  effected  Aug.  25,  1796,  by  a  division 
of  the  church  in  Parsonsfield,  the  one  to  be  called  "the 
church  of  Christ  of  Limerick ;  the  rest  to  be  called  the 
church  of  Parsonsfield  and  Newfield."  The  first  pastor 
of  the  Limerick  church  was  Ebenezer  P.  Kinsman.* 

The  high  standard  of  Christian  living  set  before  the 
churches  at  this  time  is  indicated  in  the  Circular  Letter  of 
the  association  in  1797.  "Let  us  not  be  content  with  a 
nominal  profession  only,  but  let  us  ever  be  found  walk- 
ing in  all  the  commandments  and  ordinances  of  the  Lord 
blameless  ;  that  they  who  are  of  the  contrary  part  may  be 
ashamed,  having  no  evil  thing  to  say  of  us.  May  it  ever 
be  our  steady  and  uniform  endeavor  through  grace,  as 
parents  and  children,  ministers  and  people,  to  fill  our  sta- 
tions with  usefulness  and  duty.  Take  encouragement  to 
persevere  in  our  holy  warfare  in  the  midst  of  abound- 
ing errors  and  profaneness,  from  a  consideration  of  the 
excellency  of  the  Christian  religion."  In  other  words,  as 
church  members  they  were  to  be  so  many  witnesses  to  the 
power  and  value  of  Christian  faith. 

The  additions  to  the  churches  reported  at  the  association 
in  1798  were  116.  Of  these  thirty-three  were  reported 
by  the  church  in  Waterborough  and  twenty-three  by  the 
church  in  Sanford.  "A  great  blessing  of  God  succeeded 
our  last  association  at  Waterborough  which  a  few,  very 
few  years  ago,  was  a  waste  howling  wilderness."  This 
is  a  statement  in  the  Circular  Letter :  and  at  this  meeting 
at  Berwick  there  was  '  'a  sound  of  abundance  of  rain. ' ' 

The  rain  of  grace  came.  ^  At  the  meeting  of  the  asso- 
ciation at  Wells,  June  12  and  13,  1799,  one  hundred  and 
thirty-nine  additions  by  baptism  were  reported.  Of  these 
sixty-nine  were  reported  by  the  church  in  Sanford. 

At  the  association  at  Berwick  in  1798  it  was  again  voted 
to  postpone  the  request  of  the  churches  of  the  District  of 

'  Historical  Sermon  by  Rev.  G.  B.  Haley  at  the  One  Hundredth  Anniversary  of  the  Lim- 
erick Baptist  Church.  Aur.  26,  1896.  pp.  4,  6. 


84  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

Maine  with  reference  to  a  division  of  the  association  until 
the  next  meeting  of  the  body. 

At  this  meeting  of  the  association  in  1799  it  was  voted 
to  dismiss  this  request,  evidently  in  the  hope  that  agita- 
tion in  reference  to  the  matter  would  cease  for  a  time  at 
least. 

At  this  meeting  of  the  association  it  was  *  'Voted  to  have 
the  ordinance  of  the  Lord's  Supper  administered  at  our 
next  association. "  This  was  the  custom  in  similar  meet- 
ings among  the  Congregationalists,  but  it  had  not  been  a 
custom  among  Baptists  in  such  assemblies,  the  ordinance 
being  regarded  by  them  as  a  church  ordinance  solely.  At 
the  next  meeting  of  the  association  the  action  of  the  pre- 
ceding association  in  this  matter  was  referred  to  a  com- 
mittee of  seven  ministers,  Samuel  Shepard,  John  Peak, 
Henry  Smith,  Elias  Smith,  William  Batchelder,  Shubael 
Lovel  and  Otis  Robinson.  They  reported  that  such  a 
celebration  of  the  ordinance  would  not  be  expedient  and 
the  report  was  adopted. 

At  the  association  in  1799  it  was  voted  '  'to  send  a  mis- 
sionary to  preach  and  administer  the  ordinances  of  the 
gospel  in  the  Eastern  Country."  It  was  also  voted  to 
raise  money  in  the  churches  for  this  purpose.  Twenty 
dollars  were  contributed  at  the  meeting,  and  Rev.  Henry 
Smith  was  chosen  treasurer  of  the  association.  A  com- 
mittee also  was  appointed  '  'to  employ  and  agree  with  a 
suitable  person  to  travel  in  the  Eastern  Country."  This 
was  the  beginning  of  associational  gospel  mission  work  in 
Maine.  Rev.  Isaac  Case  was  present  at  this  association. 
He  was  about  to  resign  the  pastorate  in  order  to  devote 
himself  wholly  to  missionary  service.  He  knew  the  desti- 
tution of  the  eastern  portions  of  the  District  of  Maine, 
and  doubtless  his  earnest  words  and  fiery  example  moved 
the  brethren  to  take  this  important  step. 

At  the  close  of  the  century  the  New  Hampshire  Asso- 
ciation consisted  of  sixteen  churches  with  1,420  mem- 
bers.   Ten  of  these  sixteen  churches,— Berwick,  Sanford, 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 


85 


Wells/ Coxhall  (Lyman),  Shapleigh,  Waterborough,  Cor- 
nish, Fryeburg,  Limerick  and  Parsonsfield,— were  in  the 
District  of  Maine.  The  Sanford"  church  had  the  largest 
membership,  114,  and  the  total  membership  of  the  ten 
churches  was  618. 

The  following  table  shows  the  growth  of  the  association 
to  the  year  1800  as  given  in  the  Minutes  we  have  been 
able  to  find : 


2 

02 

1 

3 

m 

C 

is 

ismissed. 

xcluded. 

ied. 

2 
B 

<0 

i 

O 

< 

Q 

W 

Q 

s 

1785 

1786 

1787 

1788 

1789 

7 

8 

470 

1790 

7 

8 

19 

3 

486 

1791 

8 

546 

1792 

8 

807 

1793 

11 

11 

215 

50 

1 

1 

1066 

1794 

9 

12 

81 

126 

3 

8 

1126 

1795 

11 

12 

53 

6 

9 

4 

1171 

1796 

12 

13 

27 

71 

2 

8 

1113 

1797 

11 

16 

41 

41 

3 

8 

1229 

1798 

15 

16 

116 

11 

5 

14 

1315 

1799 

14 

16 

139 

13 

13 

12 

1420 

'  Nov.  1,  1797,  Lemuel  Hatch  executed  a  deed  by  which  he  conveyed  his  liomestead  farm 
to  the  church,  investinp:  the  fee  in  a  board  of  trustees  and  their  successoi-s,  reserving  a 
life  right  for  himself  and  wife.  Feb.  26,  1798,  Joseph  Eaton  was  ordained  to  the  gospel 
ministry,  and  in  the  summer  of  1800  a  house  of  worship  was  erected. 

'  Rev.  Otis  Robinson  became  pastor  of  the  church  in  1798.  A  general  revival  com- 
menced with  his  ministry,  and  the  membership  of  the  church  wao  greatly  enlarged. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


Beginnings  of  the  Bowdoinham  Association. 

At  the  eastward  the  Baptist  movement  made  a  more 
rapid  advance.  Here  settlers  from  Massachusetts,  and 
some  emigrants  from  the  old  world,  were  making  homes 
for  themselves  in  the  wilderness,  and  preparing  the  way 
for  prosperous  communities  yet  to  be.  With  eagerness 
they  were  ready  to  welcome  any  servant  of  God  who 
might  visit  them,  and  Case  and  Potter,  full  of  evangelistic 
zeal,  were  not  slow  to  take  advantage  of  the  opportunities 
thus  afforded  for  preaching  the  glad  tidings.  In  this  way 
were  laid  the  foundations  of  many  churches  which  have 
had  a  noble  history,  and  not  a  few  of  them,  notwithstand- 
ing the  decline  in  our  rural  communities  during  the  past 
fifty  years,  are  doing  a  good  work  at  the  present  day. 

During  the  early  years  of  his  pastorate  at  Thomaston, 
Mr.  Case  preached  in  Jefferson,  Newcastle,  Nobleborough, 
Waldoborough,  Friendship,  Cushing,  Warren,  Union,  Cam- 
den, Castine  and  Fox  Island,  and  converts  in  these  places 
united  with  the  Thomaston  church.  "From  the  year  1783 
to  1785,"  writes  Elder  Potter,  "I  visited  the  following 
towns  and  plantations,  and  preached  in  them,  viz. ,  Litch- 
field, Readfield,  Winthrop,  Washington,  Mount  Vernon, 
Hallowell,  Augusta,  Dresden,  Woolwich,  Georgetown, 
Newcastle,  New  Milford  [Alna],  Edgecomb,  Ballstown 
[Whitefield],  Davistown  [Montville],  Harlem  [China], 
Fairfax  [Albion],  Nobleborough  and  many  other  places. 
.  .  .  I  went  to  some  places  by  invitation,  to  the 
others  by  impression  of  mind ;  but  in  general  saints  were 
revived  and  sinners  awakened.  I  was  frequently  from 
home  eight  or  nine  weeks  at  a  time.  When  my  work  was 
done  I  returned  home  satisfied."^ 

*  Narration,  pp.  24,  25. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  87 

January  20,  1785,  the  Baptist  church  in  Harpswell  was 
organized  at  New  Meadows,  now  East  Brunswick. 

Mr.  James  Potter '  and  other  Baptists  of  Bowdoin  united 
with  this  church.  Mr.  Potter  was  ordained  by  the 
Harpswell  church  Oct.  5,  1785.  His  own  statement  is,  "I 
was  ordained  with  liberty  to  travel."  Rev.  Isaac  Case 
preached  the  ordination  sermon,  and  Rev.  Job  Macomber 
assisted  in  the  service.  Mr.  Potter  soon  accepted  the 
pastorate  of  the  Harpswell  church,  although  he  continued 
to  make  Bowdoin  his  home. 

The  churches  in  Thomaston,  Bowdoinham  and  Harps- 
well, like  the  Baptist  churches  in  the  western  part  of  the 
district,  early  recognized  the  need  of  co-operation,  and 
May  24,  1787,  delegates  from  these  three  churches  met  in 
the  dwelling  house  of  Rev.  Job  Macomber  in  Bowdoinham, 
and  organized  the  Bowdoinham  Association.  Besides  the 
three  pastors.  Case,  Macomber  and  Potter,  there  were 
present  three  lay  messengers,  two  representing  the  Bow- 
doinham church,  and  one  the  Harpswell  church.  Bro. 
James  Purington  was  invited  to  act  with  these  pastors  and 
delegates.  "Elder  James  Potter  preached  a  suitable  dis- 
course from  Luke  5  :  34,  35,  'Can  ye  make  the  children  of 
the  bridechamber  fast,'  &c.,  after  which  Elder  Isaac 
Case  was  chosen  moderator,  and  Ebenr.  Kinsman,  clerk." 
Thomaston  reported  103  members,  Bowdoinham  30  and 
Harpswell  50,  a  total  of  183. 

The  design  in  organizing  the  association  was  stated  in 
these  words:  "In  associating  together  we  disclaim  all 
pretensions  to  the  least  control  on  the  independence  of 
particular  churches.  Our  main  design  is  to  establish  a 
medium  of  communication  relative  to  the  general  state  of 
religion— recommend  such  measures,  give  such  advice  and 
render  such  assistance  as  shall  be  thought  most  condu- 

'  "It  is  a  little  curious  that  his  'Narration'  does  not  say  whether  he  had  been  baptized 
before  this  time,  or  not  until  now.  But  this  silence  is  only  a  parallel  of  that  respect- 
inK  the  baptism  of  Christ's  Apostles,  and  one  could  hardly  read  either  the  New  Testa- 
ment or  Potter's  'Narration,'  and  believe  that  the  ordinance  had  been  omitted  by  such 
unflinching  Baptists  as  all  these  were."  Rev.  E.  S.  Small's  Centennial  Review  of 
Bowdoinham  Association,  p.  9. 


88  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

cive  to  the  advancement,  power  and  enlargement  of  the 
Redeemer's  Kingdom  in  the  world." 

The  following  "Summary  of  Doctrines"  was  adopted  :^ 

"1st.  We  believe  that  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and 
New  Testaments  contain  the  mind  and  will  of  God,  deliv- 
ered to  us  by  holy  men  of  old,  inspired  thereunto  by  the 
Holy  Ghost ;  and  that  they  are  the  perfect  and  only  rule 
of  faith  and  practice. 

"2d.  That  there  is  only  one  living  and  true  God,  eter- 
nally existing  and  mysteriously  manifested  to  us  in  three 
distinct  persons, —the  Father,  the  Word  (or  Son)  and  the 
Holy  Ghost,  who  are  of  the  same  essence,  power  and 
glory. 

"3d.  That  God  created  man  at  first  in  his  own  moral 
image,  in  which  man  continued  not,  but  sinned,  lost  his 
holiness,  contracted  guilt,  became  wholly  indisposed  to 
good,  inclined  to  evil  and  justly  exposed  to  temporal  and 
eternal  misery,  and  that  such  is  now  the  character  and 
condition  of  all  Adam's  posterity  by  nature. 

"4th.  That  the  recovery  of  fallen,  sinful  man  to  holi- 
ness and  eternal  life  is  wholly  of  divine,  unmerited  grace 
through  the  mediation  and  expiatory  sacrifice  of  our  Lord 
and  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ,  which  grace  is  displayed  in  elec- 
tion, vocation,  remission,  justification  and  glorification, 
in  the  following  order,  viz.  :  'Whom  God  did  foreknow 
(as  heirs  of  salvation),  he  also  did  predestinate  to  be 
conformed  to  the  image  of  his  Son.  Whom  he  did  pre- 
destinate, them  he  also  called  :  and  whom  he  called,  them 
he  also  justified :  and  whom  he  justified,  them  he  also 
glorified.  * 

"5th.  That  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  will  come  again,  raise 
the  dead— judge  the  quick  and  dead,  both  just  and 
unjust— will  punish  with  everlasting  destruction  from  the 
glory  of  his  presence  all  the  finally  impenitent,  and  intro- 
duce the  righteous  into  the  kingdom  of  glory  prepared  for 
them  from  the  foundation  of  the  world. 

^  Minutes  of  Bowdoinham  Association  for  1857,  pp.  17,  18. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  89 

"6th.  That  baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper  are  ordi- 
nances of  Christ  to  be  observed  by  his  people  until  his 
second  coming,  and  that  the  former  is  requisite  to  the 
latter,  that  is  to  say,  that  those  only  are  to  be  admitted 
into  the  church  and  partake  of  its  ordinances  who,  on  pro- 
fession of  faith  in  Jesus  Christ  and  obedience  to  him,  have 
been  baptized  in  water  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  the 
Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost," 

The  time  of  the  annual  meeting  of  the  association,— the 
fourth  Wednesday  in  September,— was  designated  in  the 
"Rules  of  Procedure"  which  were  adopted  by  the  associa- 
tion. These  rules  provided  for  "a  moderator  and  clerk 
to  be  annually  chosen  after  the  following  manner,  viz.  : 
the  oldest  minister  present  shall  call  for  a  nomination  of 
a  moderator,  who  shall  be  chosen  by  a  hand  vote,  by  a 
majority  of  the  ministers  present.  The  moderator  thus 
chosen  shall  upon  his  acceptance  lead  the  meeting  to  the 
choice  of  a  clerk  in  the  same  manner."  The  rules  also 
provided  for  an  annual  session,  "calculated  to  bring  into 
view  the  expediency  of  sending  the  gospel  to  the  desti- 
tute"; also  for  a  collection  for  missionary  purposes.  The 
churches  were  required  to  send  with  their  messengers 
letters  giving  an  account  of  the  state  of  the  churches, 
and  "particularly  of  the  additions  and  diminutions  in  the 
past  year,  together  with  the  whole  number  of  members 
in  communion."  Provision  also  was  made  for  a  "Circu- 
lar Letter"  addressed  to  the  churches  connected  with 
the  association,  "containing  something  'profitable  for  doc- 
trine, reproof,  correction,  and  instruction  in  righteous- 
ness'"; also  for  a  letter  addressed  to  "corresponding 
associations. ' ' 

A  question  being  asked  at  this  first  meeting,  "Whether 
it  is  agreeable  to  truth  and  the  example  of  Christ  to 
receive  unbaptized  persons  to  communion,  or  allow  any 
members  to  commune  with  such  occasionally,"  the  asso- 
ciation "Voted,  That  baptism  is  necessary  to  church  com- 
munion and  according  to  the  articles  of  faith  of  these 
churches,  not  to  commune  with  any  unbaptized  person, 


90  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

neither  to  allow  nor  give  liberty  to  any  member  to  com- 
mune with  such." 

During  this  meeting,  in  the  quaint  language  of  the 
record,  "Elder  Case  preached  with  much  Power,  Liberty 
and  Assistance."  A  Circular  Letter  by  Ebenezer  Kins- 
man was  read  and  approved.  The  association  on  the 
second  day  adjourned  to  meet  in  Thomaston  the  last 
Wednesday  in  September. 

The  association  met  at  Thomaston  as  appointed,  but  no 
record  of  the  meeting  has  been  preserved.  There  is  no 
record,  also,  of  the  meeting  at  Harpswell  in  1788.^  In 
the  Minutes  of  the  association  held  in  Ballstown  (now 
Jefferson  and  Whitefield),  Sept.  30,  1789,  three  additional 
churches  are  reported,  viz.,  Bowdoin,  Vassalborough  and 
Ballstown,  making  six  in  all,  with  288  members.  Accord- 
ing to  the  recollection  of  Rev.  Isaac  Case  in  1820,  as 
recorded  in  the  Minutes  of  the  association  in  possession  of 
its  clerk,  these  churches  did  not  unite  with  the  association 
in  1788.  The  Bowdoin  and  Ballstown  churches,  however, 
were  organized  in  1788  before  the  association  met,  while 
in  the  statistical  column  in  the  Minutes  for  1789  Vassal- 
borough  stands  before  Ballstown.  The  church  in  Bowdoin 
was  organized  Aug.  1,  1788,"'  with  eighteen  members  and 
the  prominence  of  its  Calvinism  is  indicated  in  its  designa- 
tion as  "A  Regular,  Particular  Baptist  Church."  There 
had  been,  says  Elder  Potter,  "a  great  declension  among 
professors  of  religion,  and  some  gave  up  their  hope  and 
returned  to  vanity";  but  now  there  were  "refreshing 
times,"  "backsliders  were  reclaimed,  and  some  who  never 
were  free  before  were  set  at  liberty.  We  had  happy 
sessions,  crowded  meetings  and  frequent."  Having  men- 
tioned the  organization  of  the  church  in  Bowdoin,  Mr. 
Potter  adds:  "Afterwards  we  had  frequent  additions, 
and  I  was  dismissed  from  the  church  in  Harpswell  and 
joined  Bowdoin  church,  and  covenanted  with  them  to  take 

'  In  the  bound  volume  of  Minutes  of  Bowdoinham  Association  in  the  possession  of  the 
clerk  of  the  association,  no  other  Minutes  of  the  annual  meetings  are  lacking-.  Those  for 
1787  and  1790  are  in  manuscript,  copied  by  Rev.  W.  O.  Grant  in  1820. 

'  Potter's  Narration,  p.  26. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  91 

the  pastoral  care  of  them  with  liberty  to  travel."  In  the 
Minutes  for  1789,  the  Bowdoin  church  reported  a  member- 
ship of  fifty-one. 

The  Vassalborough  church  was  the  result  of  a  visit  of 
Rev.  Nathaniel  Lord  of  Wells  in  1788.  A  revival  fol- 
lowed his  faithful  preaching  of  the  gospel.  Elders  Potter, 
Case,  Snow  and  Macomber  carried  on  the  work,  the  latter 
baptizing  the  first  converts.  Others  were  baptized  by 
Elder  Case.  Among  these  converts  were  Nehemiah  Gould 
and  Jabez  Lewis,  both  of  whom  subsequently  received 
ordination  and  became  useful  ministers  of  Christ.  The 
Vassalborough  church  reported  twenty-two  members  in 
1789. 

The  church  in  Ballstown  was  organized  Jan.  6,  1788. 
Mr.  Potter  visited  the  town  between  1783  and  1785.  Rev. 
Isaac  Case,  also,  was  there  in  his  efforts  to  carry  the  gos- 
pel to  the  destitute  regions  in  the  district.  '  'Previous  to 
1788,"  he  says,  "the  people  of  Ballstown  were  not  found 
with  stated  preaching  of  any  kind,  as  there  was  no  church 
of  any  order  in  the  settlement."  But  by  his  labors,  and 
the  labors  of  other  Baptist  ministers,  the  attention  of  the 
people  was  drawn  to  religious  subjects,  converts  were 
made  and  baptized,  and  a  church  at  length  was  organized. 
This  was  in  the  western  part  of  the  town,  which,  in  1809, 
became  a  separate  township  bearing  the  name  of  White- 
field,  the  evangelist,  whose  death  in  1770  made  such  a 
profound  impression  throughout  the  religious  world. 

In  1790,  the  Bowdoinham  Association  met  at  Harpswell, 
Sept.  29  and  30.  Elder  James  Potter  was  moderator  and 
Bro.  Samuel  Flagg,  clerk.  The  next  year  the  association 
met  at  Ballstown.  Four  churches  were  received  to  mem- 
bership, 2d  Vassalborough,  afterward  Sidney,  2d  Bowdoin, 
afterward  Litchfield,  Sheppardsfield,  afterward  Hebron, 
and  Bucktown,  afterward  Buckfield.  A  letter  also  was 
received  from  Number  Four,  afterward  Paris,  requesting 
assistance  "in  embodying  them  into  a  church,"  and  it  was 
"agreed  to  furnish  them  assistance  by  Elder  Snow."  In 
all  of  these  places  Elder  Potter  did  pioneer  work.     After 


92  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

the  organization  of  the  Bowdoin  church  he  purposed  to 
tarry  at  home,  but  he  could  not.  "The  same  exercise  of 
mind"  came  upon  him  as  before.  Receiving  an  invitation 
to  preach  in  Buckfield,  he  went  there  and  "found  a  num- 
ber of  loving  brethren.  I  had  fellowship  with  them,"  he 
says;  "but  I  could  not  find  that  my  message  to  sinners 
was  in  any  of  these  places.  An  aged  man  came  into  Buck- 
field,  and  requested  me  to  appoint  a  meeting  the  next  day 
in  Hebron."  Mr.  Potter  responded  to  this  call,  and  the 
results  were  such  that  he  adds,  "I  found  this  place  to  be 
the  object  of  my  visit.  A  divine  blessing  attended  my 
feeble  efforts  to  the  hearts  of  the  people  and  a  reformation 
began.  "^  About  the  same  time  Mr.  Potter  visited  Num- 
ber Four.  "Eleven  if  not  twelve  years  had  passed  since 
the  first  trees  had  been  felled,  and  the  first  opening  made 
in  the  primeval  forest  on  this  hill,  where  now  we  see  the 
common,  and  where  the  meeting-houses,  courthouse,  and 
other  county  buildings,  with  the  hotels  and  residences  of 
this  part  of  the  village,  stand.  Ten  years  had  passed 
since  the  first  harvest  had  been  gathered  in  ;  and  almost 
ten  years  since  Mrs.  Willis  had  come  to  make  a  home 
where  before  there  had  been  only  a  settler's  camp.  The 
first  framed  house,  now  standing  and  occupied  in  the  vil- 
lage, had  been  built  two  and  a  half  years  before.  The 
number  of  inhabitants  in  the  township  had  become  more 
than  three,  perhaps  nearly  four  hundred.  The  plantation 
had  been  planted  with  a  goodly  seed,  as  if  three  king- 
doms had  been  sifted  to  obtain  it."^ 

When  in  1790  Elder  Potter  visited  the  place  he  found 
some  members  of  Baptist  churches.  They  held  meetings, 
and  when  the  pioneer  preacher  appeared  they  gave  him  a 
cordial  welcome.  A  revival  followed,  "the  first  revival 
enjoyed  in  this  town";  and  it  was  enjoyed,  we  may  well 
believe,  by  earnest,  praying  souls.  The  next  year  Mr. 
Potter  returned  and  deepened  the  interest  already  awak- 

'  Narration,  pp.  26,  27. 

^  The  First  Baptist  Church  in  Paris,  Maine.    Centennial  Exercises  Oct.  1,  1891.    His- 
torical Discourse  by  Rev.  H.  C.  Estes,  D.  D.,  pp.  13,  14. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  93 

ened.  "Later  in  the  year  they  received  a  visit  from  Elder 
EHsha  Snow.  Thus  the  way  was  prepared  for  the  organi- 
zation of  a  church.  One  day  in  the  late  autumn  of  that 
year,  the  time  had  fully  come.  Then,  Elder  Snow  being 
present  and  assisting,  twenty  persons,  ten  brethren  and 
ten  sisters,  banded  themselves  together  in  church  cove- 
nant ;  and  the  First  Baptist  church  in  Paris  was  formed 
on  Friday,  the  eighteenth  of  November,  1791."'  Seven 
of  the  twenty  had  been  members  of  the  Third  Baptist 
church  in  Middleborough,  Mass. 

In  Sidney,  in  1791,  there  was  a  revival  in  connection 
with  the  labors  of  Elder  Potter.  Litchfield,  sometimes 
called  Potterstown,  was  a  part  of  Elder  Potter's  home 
field. 

At  the  Bowdoinham  Association  in  1791,  a  sermon  was 
preached  by  William  Stinson,  a  member  of  the  Litchfield 
church,  who  in  June  of  the  following  year  was  ordained 
as  pastor  of  the  Litchfield  church,  a  position  which 
he  retained  thirty  years.  The  introductory  sermon  was 
preached  by  Samuel  Flagg,  also  an  unordained  minister. 
Mr.  Flagg  was  the  clerk  of  the  association,  and  after  hav- 
ing rendered  missionary  service  for  a  period  of  years,  he 
was  ordained  in  1808  as  pastor  of  the  church  on  Miscongus 
Island. 

At  the  association  at  Bowdoin  in  1792,  five  churches 
were  received  into  membership,  namely  Number  Four, 
Lewiston,  Winthrop  (designated  next  year  as  Readfield), 
Sterling  (afterward  Fayette)  and  Miscongus  Island.  The 
circumstances  connected  with  the  organization  of  the 
church  in  Number  Four,  or  Paris,  have  already  been  men- 
tioned. Before  the  organization  of  the  church  in  Lew- 
iston, the  Baptists  there  and  in  the  different  settle- 
ments around— Greene,  Wales,  New  Gloucester,  Freeport, 
Pejepscot  (afterward  Danville)  —were  accustomed  to  hold 
monthly  "conferences"  at  Lewiston,  and  in  this  way 
enjoyed  the  occasional  labors  of  Elders  Case,  Potter  and 
Macomber.     The  local  membership  increased  so  much  that 

'  Dr.  Eatea'  Historical  Discourse,  p.  15. 


94  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

a  church  was  organized  March  31,  1792.  In  the  spring  of 
this  year,  Rev.  Isaac  Case  visited  Oxford  County  on  a  mis- 
sionary tour,  and  while  on  his  way  thither  he  stopped  in 
Readfield,  where  he  found  a  few  Baptists  who  had  been 
converted  in  connection  with  the  labors  of  Elder  Potter. 
At  their  request  he  spent  several  weeks  in  the  place, 
preaching  and  baptizing.  Subsequently  he  visited  Read- 
field  again,  and  held  added  religious  services.  The  result 
was  that  a  church  of  twenty  members  was  organized,  com- 
posed of  residents  in  Readfield  and  what  is  now  known  as 
East  Winthrop.  Mr.  Case  became  very  much  interested 
in  this  little  church,  and  when  it  was  proposed  that  he 
should  accept  the  pastorate  he  felt  constrained  to  assent. 
He  preached  his  farewell  sermon  at  Thomaston  in  June, 
and  removed  his  family  to  Readfield.^  The  religious  inter- 
est continued.  Members  were  added  to  the  church,  and 
when  it  sought  admission  to  the  Bowdoinham  Association 
in  October  the  membership  of  the  church  was  thirty-five. 
The  fourth  church  added  to  the  association  in  1792  was 
that  in  Sterling,  afterward  Fayette.  Here  Rev.  Isaac 
Case  labored,  after  preaching  in  Readfield  in  the  spring  of 
the  year.  He  had  been  preceded  by  Rev.  Eliphalet  Smith, 
who  in  1770  was  a  Congregational  pastor  in  Deerfield, 
N.  H.  As  President  Manning  of  Rhode  Island  College 
related  the  story  in  a  letter  to  Rev.  Dr.  S.  Stennett  of 
London,  Mr.  Smith  was  preaching  from  the  words,  "If  ye 
love  me,  keep  my  commandments,"  John  14:  15,  "when 
truth  was  let  into  his  mind  with  such  vividness  as  com- 
pelled him  to  open  the  nature  of  the  ordinance  of  baptism 
so  clearly  as  to  convince  the  church  of  which  he  was  pas- 
tor that  believer's  baptism  by  immersion  only  is  a  divine 
institution.  In  consequence  of  this,  they  sent  a  messen- 
ger to  me  to  come  and  administer  the  ordinance  to  both 

*  One  of  Elder  Case's  children,  Mrs.  Hannah  C.  Harley,  who  died  at  the  meeting  of  the 
Damariscotta  Association  at  King's  Mills,  Sept.  6,  1876,  writing  late  in  life,  said  :  "I  was 
then  in  my  fifth  year,  but  never  have  forgotten  that  before  going  on  shipboard,  the  man 
of  God  kneeled  down  and  prayed.  I  suppose  the  prayer  had  much  life  in  it,  for  he  had  a 
sonorous  voice,  and  was  powerful  in  prayer  and  exhortation.  I  have  perfect  recollection 
of  brethren  meeting  us  when  we  arrived  in  Hallowell,  and  conducting  us  to  our  new 
home." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  95 

minister  and  people,  the  most  of  whom  expect  immedi- 
ately to  submit  thereto."*  Rev.  Hezekiah  Smith  of 
Haverhill,  Mass.,  at  Mr.  Manning's  request,  went  to  Deer- 
field,  where  on  Thursday,  June  14,  1770,  after  preaching 
from  Col.  2 :  11,  12,  he  baptized  Eliphalet  Smith  and 
thirteen  others,  "who,  the  same  day,  were  embodied  into 
a  Baptist  church."  When  Mr.  Case,  in  his  Oxford  mis- 
sionary tour,  came  to  Sterling,  he  '  'found  it  was  their  con- 
templation to  form  a  church  upon  the  mixed  communion 
plan,  Mr.  Smith  being  an  open  communionist, "  and  an 
attempt  was  made  to  convince  Mr.  Case  of  the  scriptural 
propriety  of  such  a  course.  But  he  raised  this  question : 
"If  a  person  should  come  to  your  house,  and  you  should 
invite  him  to  walk  in,  but  he  should  object  to  coming  in 
at  the  door,  would  you  take  down  one  side  of  your  house 
to  accommodate  him  ?"  Before  Mr.  Case  left  the  place, 
Mr.  Oliver  Billings  (afterward  pastor  of  the  church  for 
twenty  years,  and  senior  pastor  until  his  death  in  1842,) 
and  his  wife,  with  others,  requested  and  received  baptism, 
and  in  August  a  church  of  twenty-three  members  was 
formed,  with  Mr.  Smith  as  pastor.  When  the  church 
united  with  the  Bowdoinham  Association  it  had  thirty 
members. 

The  Miscongus  Island  church  consisted  of  nineteen 
members  when  it  applied  for  membership  in  the  associa- 
tion in  1792.  Its  organization  was  doubtless  due  to  the 
abounding  labors  of  Rev.  Isaac  Case  and  Rev.  Elisha 
Snow. 

In  1793,  the  association  met  at  Readfield.  Rev.  William 
Hooper  of  the  New  Hampshire  Association  was  moderator. 
The  membership  of  the  association  had  increased  during 
the  year  from  566  to  695  and  the  churches  from  fifteen 
to  nineteen.-    The  new  churches  were  Cushing,  Noble- 

'  Life,  Times  and  Correspondence  of  James  Manning,  by  R.  A.  Guild,  p.  122. 

'  "At  this  meeting,  besides  the  seven  ordained  ministers  belonging  to  the  association, 
there  was  reported  the  same  number  of  licentiates.  Others  of  the  delegates  were  to 
enter  the  ministry  soon  afterward.  Four  of  the  licentiates,  according  to  Backus,  were 
ordained  within  two  months  following,  viz.,  Ephraim  Hall,  at  Cushing,  now  St.  George ; 
Andrew   Fuller,   another   helper  from   Middleborough   (Mass.),  ordained   at  Miscongus 


96  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

borough,  Livermore  and  Greene.  The  church  in  Gushing 
had  shared  the  labors  of  Elders  Gase  and  Snow,  and  the 
church  was  organized  in  part  by  members  from  the  Thom- 
aston  church.  Nobleborough,  also,  had  early  received 
help  from  the  same  source.  Rev.  Samuel  Woodward,  who 
was  ordained  at  his  own  house  in  Brunswick,  Oct.  1,  1792, 
and  was  now  pastor  of  the  Harpswell  church,  aided  Elder 
Case  in  organizing  the  Nobleborough  church.  The  church 
in  Livermore,  now  known  as  the  church  in  North  Liver- 
more,  was  an  indirect  result  of  Elder  Gase's  labors.  Mr. 
Z.  Delano,  while  on  a  visit  to  Winthrop,  heard  Elder  Gase 
preach  in  the  Congregational  meeting-house.  Convicted 
of  sin  he  returned  home,  "filled  with  a  sense  of  his  own 
ways,"  and  "remained  in  a  distressed  state  of  mind 
several  months."  In  the  winter  of  1793,  he  yielded  to 
Christ,  and  commenced  the  worship  of  God  in  his  family, 
but  made  no  public  acknowledgment  of  his  faith.  An 
interesting  providence  of  God  brought  it  forth.  Elisha 
Williams,  son  of  a  Congregational  minister  of  East  Hart- 
ford, Conn. ,  a  graduate  of  Yale  College,  was  at  that  time 
in  Livermore,  teaching  school.  One  morning  he  called  on 
Mr.  Delano,  who  was  at  the  time  conducting  family 
devotions.  An  impression  was  made  upon  the  mind  of 
the  young  man.  He  thought  of  himself,  and  of  his  neg- 
lect of  God  and  religion.  "Before  he  reached  school  he 
was  so  overwhelmed  with  a  sense  of  his  lost  condition, 
that  he  was  constrained  to  call  upon  God  for  mercy.  His 
prayer  was  answered,  and  his  conversion  was  the  begin- 
ning of  a  work  of  grace  in  that  community.  Rev.  Isaac 
Case  and  Rev.  Eliphalet  Smith  aided  in  the  work,  and  a 
church  was  organized  in  August,  1793.  Mr.  Williams  was 
a  delegate  from  the  church  to  the  association  in  that  year. 
The  town  of  Greene  was  visited  by  Elder  Potter  soon 
after  its  settlement  was  commenced.     There  were  con- 

Island ;  in  a  private  house  in  Sidney,  and  at  the  same  time,  Asa  Wilbur,  from  Bridge- 
water,  Mass.,  and  Lemuel  Jackson,  still  another  from  Middleborough.  Both  of  these  had 
been  laboring  in  the  revival  at  Sidney  this  year,  and  were  licentiates  of  that  church. 
Wilbur  became  the  pastor,  and  Jackson  was  ordained  as  a  'traveling  minister.' "  Rev. 
E.  S.  Small's  Centennial  Review  of  Bowdoinham  Association,  p.  15. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  97 

versions,  and  the  converts  united  with  the  Lewiston 
church.  From  this  church  thirteen  were  dismissed  to 
form  a  church  in  Greene,  and  at  the  association  the  church 
reported  twenty-seven  members. 

At  this  association  a  question  as  to  Paul's  meaning 
in  Rom.  9 : 3,  was  propounded  by  the  church  in  Vassal- 
borough,  to  which  the  association  returned  the  following 
ingenious  answer:  "That  the  apostle's  meaning  is,  that  if 
it  would  be  for  the  glory  of  God  and  would  forward  the 
salvation  of  his  brethren,  the  Jews,  he  could  be  willing 
to  suffer  a  crucified  death,  after  the  example  of  Christ. 
'For  it  is  written.  Cursed  is  every  one  that  hangeth  on  a 
tree.'    Deut.  21 :  23  ;  Gal.  3 :  13." 

But  not  all  the  work  of  evangelization  in  Maine  was 
done  by  our  own  missionaries.  From  across  the  border, 
in  the  summer  of  1794,  came  Rev.  James  Murphy  of 
New  Brunswick,  and  with  occasional  missionary  tours  to 
Machias,  Steuben  and  other  places,  the  next  ten  years  of 
his  life  were  spent  for  the  most  part  in  religious  work  at 
Eastport,  then  called  Moose  Island.  He  was  assisted  at 
times  by  Rev.  James  Manning  and  Rev.  Edward  Manning 
of  Nova  Scotia.  The  Baptist  church  in  Eastport  was 
organized  in  1802,  and  Rev.  James  Murphy  was  its  first 
pastor.^ 

In  1794,  the  Bowdoinham  Association  met  at  Ballstown 
(Whitefield),  Aug.  27th  and  28th.  The  association  recog- 
nized the  fact  that  while  a  church  might  elect  delegates, 
the  association  could  decline  to  receive  them.  Hence  this 
record  in  the  Minutes:  "Two  were  excluded  from  the 
association,  both  of  whom  belonged  to  Bowdoin." 

'  Historical  Sketch  of  the  Washingrton  St.  Baptist  Church  in  Eastport,  1802-1896,  by 
Rev.  J.  A.  Ford.  "Edward  Manning  was  a  bom  leader.  He  was  cast  in  royal  mould, 
physically  and  intellectually.  Wherever  he  went  revival  influences  followed.  'In  the 
absence  of  roads  and  in  the  depth  of  winter  he  traveled  on  snowshoes  from  place  to 
place.  Over  mountain  and  valley  he  traveled,  by  day  and  by  nigrht,  watching  for  souls  as 
one  vfho  must  give  an  account.'  James  Manning  was  a  man  'abundant  in  labor  and 
mighty  in  prayer,'  but  lacking  his  brother's  intellectual  equipment  and  powers  of  leader- 
ship. These  were  the  men  who,  under  divine  Providence,  helped  to  found  the  Elastport 
Baptist  church." 

8 


98  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

New  Sandwich  (Wayne),  3d  Bowdoin,  afterward  2d 
Bowdoin,  and  Thompsonborough  (Lisbon)  were  received 
into  the  association  at  this  meeting.  The  church  in  New 
Sandwich  was  the  result  of  the  labors  of  Elder  Potter  in 
1793.  There  were  conversions  in  connection  with  his 
preaching,  and  Jan.  9,  1794,^  a  church  of  ten  members 
was  organized.  The  3d  Bowdoin  also  had  its  origin  in  the 
missionary  labors  of  Elder  Potter.  The  church  was  organ- 
ized Feb.  13,  1794.  The  additions  to  the  churches  this 
year  were  178.  Of  these  Livermore  reported  34,  Lewis- 
ton,  24,  Gushing,  23  and  Greene,  19.  The  whole  member- 
ship was  887. 

A  committee  was  appointed  to  prepare  articles  of  faith 
and  a  covenant  and  report  at  the  next  meeting.  To  the 
question,  "Is  it  not  agreeable  to  apostolic  order  that 
deacons  should  be  set  apart  by  imposition  of  hands  ?"  an 
affirmative  answer  was  given. 

The  association,  in  1795,  met  in  the  "Baptist  meeting- 
house" in  Readfield,  Aug.  19th  and  20th.  Elder  Samuel 
Shepard,  of  the  New  Hampshire  Association,  preached 
the  introductory  sermon.  Two  churches  were  added,  Bar- 
retstown,  now  Hope,  and  New  Gloucester.  A  layman, 
Ebenezer  Cox,  laid  the  foundations  of  the  first  of  these 
churches.  His  evangelistic  labors  were  so  fruitful  that 
when  Rev.  E.  Hall  of  Gushing  came  into  the  field,  in 
January,  1795,  he  found  converts  ready  for  baptism.  Mr. 
Gox  was  first  a  deacon,  then  a  licentiate,  and  later  an 
ordained  evangelist.  At  different  periods  in  the  history 
of  the  church  for  nearly  half  a  century  he  did  excellent 
service. 

The  first  Baptist  ministers  who  preached  in  New  Glouces- 
ter were  Rev.  Hezekiah  Smith  of  Haverhill,  Mass.,  and 
Rev.  Nathaniel  Lord  of  Wells.  ^  This  was  as  early  as  1780. 
Several  converts  were  baptized  in  June  of  that  year.  In 
1781,  Rev.  James  Potter  preached  in  New  Gloucester  and 

*  A  Historical  Sketch  of  the  Baptist  Church  in  Wayne,  by  Rev.  Judson  B.  Bryant,  p.  3. 

*  Rev.  John  Rounds  in  a  Historical  Discourse  preached  at  the  opening:  of  the  Baptist 
meeting-house  in  New  Gloucester,  Aug.  16,  1857,  pp.  7-9. 


raSTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  99 

several  were  converted.  A  church  of  about  twenty  mem- 
bers was  organized  by  Mr.  Potter.  Some  of  the  mem- 
bers were  Calvinistic  and  some  were  Arminian  in  their 
doctrinal  views,  and  the  result  was  discussion  and  aliena- 
tion. Elder  Potter,  in  his  Narration,  says :  '  'I  visited 
and  preached  at  times  several  years  in  New  Gloucester. 
There  had  been  some  previous  awakenings  amongst  them 
in  the  Freewill  order.  I  preached  there,  and  the  people 
were  attentive  to  the  word ;  they  reasoned  with  me  in  a 
calm  and  moderate  way  upon  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel. 
They  alleged  that  it  was  hard  that  after  all  their  doing 
and  exertions  there  was  no  promise  of  mercy.  I  answered 
that  God  required  of  us  faith  and  repentance.  After  our 
controversy  on  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  several  of 
them  renounced  Freewill  sentiments  and  embraced  the 
doctrines  of  free  grace."  In  the  autumn  of  1782,  Mr. 
Job  Macomber,  seeking  a  field  for  religious  labor,  took 
charge  of  the  services  of  the  church  for  a  short  time.  In 
1784,  Mr.  N.  Merrill  was  ordained  and  preached  to  the 
people  one-half  of  the  time  for  several  years.  Differences 
in  the  church  continuing,  however,  a  separation  was  at 
length  effected,  and  "the  Baptists  held  meetings  by  them- 
selves." Troubles  from  without  also  disturbed  them.  In 
the  records  of  a  regular  meeting  of  the  legal  voters  of 
New  Gloucester,  held  Aug.  22,  1782,  occurs  the  following : 

"Motioned  and  brought  to  vote  to  see  if  the  town  would 
make  good  to  Mr.  John  Woodman  the  damages  he  has 
sustained  by  having  a  cow  taken  from  him  for  what  he 
was  assessed  with  the  two  years  past,  in  a  tax  made  for 
the  minister's  salary.     It  passed  in  the  negative. "  ^ 

Mr.  Woodman  was  one  of  four  persons  who  united  with 
the  Baptist  church  about  six  weeks  after  the  organization. 
In  the  warrant  for  a  meeting  of  the  legal  voters,  to  be 
held  Feb.  10,  1786,  the  following  article  was  inserted  : 

"Art.  2.  To  see  if  they  will  pass  a  vote  not  to  oppose 
those  persons  who  call  themselves  Baptists,  if  they  will 
petition  the  General  Court  to  be  exempt  from  taxation  in 

*  Town  records,  p.  68. 


100  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

any  future  tax  that  shall  be  made  for  the  support  of  a 
minister  in  this  town,  while  they  continue  in  that  princi- 
ple." ^    It  was  voted  to  drop  this  article. 

In  the  warrant  for  the  meeting  March  13,  1786,  was  the 
following  article : 

"Art.  3.  To  see  if  the  town  will  free  the  Baptists  from 
paying  taxes  to  Mr.  Wilder,  "Hhe  Congregational  minis- 
ter. The  vote  was  19  to  17,  but  at  the  next  meeting,  in 
April  following,  the  vote  was  reconsidered  and  the  Bap- 
tists were  required  to  pay  taxes  as  before.^ 

Not  long  after  the  organization  of  the  church,  an  act 
was  obtained  from  the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts 
incorporating  a  Baptist  society  in  New  Gloucester,  with 
powers  and  privileges  equal  to  those  of  other  parishes. 
But  this  was  found  to  be  an  additional  burden,  and  four 
years  afterward  the  society  was  dissolved.  The  church 
continued,  also  the  old  troubles  continued,  and  in  1793 
there  was  separation  and  a  dissolution  of  the  church.  But 
in  the  following  year,  in  connection  with  the  labors  of 
Elder  Potter,  there  was  a  revival  in  the  place,  and  Oct. 
16,  1794,  a  new  church  of  twelve  members  was  organized.* 
Rev.  Isaac  Case  preached  the  sermon  from  John  3  :  29. 

It  having  been  thought  expedient  for  the  convenience  of 
churches  on  admission  of  members  "to  abridge  the  arti- 
cles of  faith  adopted  by  the  association,"  not  designing 
any  alteration  therein,  the  following  were  presented  for 
use  in  the  churches  : 

'  'Having  been  enabled  by  divine  grace  to  give  up  our- 
selves to  the  Lord,  we  account  it  a  duty  incumbent  upon 
us,  to  make  a  declaration  of  our  faith,  to  the  honor  of 
Christ  and  glory  of  his  name  ;  knowing  that  as  with  the 
heart  man  believeth  unto  righteousness,  so  with  the  mouth 
confession  is  made  unto  salvation. 

"We  believe  that  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New 
Testaments  are  the  word  of  God ;  we  believe  there  is  but 

'  Town  Records,  p.  102. 
-  Town  Records,  p.  103. 
^  Town  Records,  p.  105. 
*  Millet's  History  of  the  Baptists  in  Maine,  p.  148. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  101 

one  only  true  and  living  God ;  we  believe  the  important 
doctrines  of  three  equal  persons  in  the  Godhead ;  eternal 
and  personal  election ;  original  sin ;  particular  redemp- 
tion ;  free  justification  by  the  imputed  righteousness  of 
Christ ;  efficacious  grace  in  regeneration  ;  the  final  perse- 
verance of  real  believers ;  the  resurrection  of  the  dead ; 
the  future  judgment ;  the  eternal  happiness  of  the  right- 
eous ;  and  everlasting  misery  of  the  impenitent.  We  also 
believe  that  baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper  are  ordinances 
of  Christ,  to  be  continued  until  his  second  coming,  and  the 
former  is  requisite  to  the  latter,  that  is  to  say,  that  those 
are  to  be  admitted  into  the  communion  of  the  church,  and 
so  to  partake  of  its  ordinances,  who  on  profession  of  their 
faith  have  been  baptized  by  immersion  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  A  covenant 
was  also  presented  by  the  association. 

During  the  year  two  ministers  had  been  ordained, 
Joshua  Young  at  Ballstown  in  April,  1795,  and  James 
Hooper  at  Paris  June  25,  1795.  Mr.  Hooper  was  the 
youngest  brother  of  Rev.  William  Hooper  of  Berwick. 
Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty  and  baptized  by  his 
brother  William,  he  commenced  to  preach  on  New  Year's 
day,  1791,  at  the  age  of  twenty-two.  For  awhile  he  trav- 
eled with  Joshua  Smith,  a  New  Hampshire  evangelist. 
In  1793  he  preached  in  Minot  and  Hebron.  Then  he  went 
to  New  Gloucester,  and  the  Baptist  church  in  that  place 
was  organized  while  he  was  there.  Receiving  an  invita- 
tion to  go  to  Paris,  he  removed  there  Nov.  6,  1794,  and  on 
April  6,  1795,  after  having  preached  "upon  probation," 
he  was  chosen  minister  of  the  town  at  a  meeting  of  the 
"freeholders  and  other  inhabitants."  ^ 

Mr.  Young  went  to  the  eastward  and  entered  upon  pas- 
toral service  in  Columbia  and  Addison.  He  also  carried 
the  gospel  into  the  regions  round  about.  A  revival  in 
connection  with  his  labors  at  Columbia  extended  to  Steu- 
ben, now  Cherryfield,  and  in  April,  1796,  he  baptized  six 
candidates.     Rev.  Isaac  Case  was  there  in  July  and  bap- 

'  Life  and  Sentiments  of  James  Hooper,  Minister  of  the  Gospel,  pp.  7-11.    Centennial 
Discourse  by  H.  C.  Estes,  D.  D.,  pp.  27-30. 


102  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

tized  several  more,  and  a  church  was  organized  Septem- 
ber 16th  following/ 

At  the  meeting  of  the  association  at  Greene,  Aug.  24 
and  25,  1796,  the  church  in  Clinton  was  received  to  mem- 
bership. Its  pastor  was  Mephibosheth  Cain,^.  who  was 
ordained  in  January,  1796.  The  church  was  organized  the 
preceding  September,  and  at  the  time  of  the  associa- 
tion reported  twenty-six  members.  Nehemiah  Gould  was 
ordained  pastor  of  the  church  in  Vassalborough  in  Janu- 
ary, 1796,  and  Job  Chadwick  pastor  of  the  church  in 
Harlem,  now  China.  During  the  year  Joshua  Bailey  was 
ordained  pastor  of  the  church  in  Ballstown. 

The  church  in  Harlem  (China),  consisting  of  twenty 
members,  was  received  into  the  Bowdoinham  Association 
at  the  meeting  in  Thomaston  in  1797,  as  also  was  the 
church  at  North  Yarmouth,  now  Yarmouth.  Rev.  Heze- 
kiah  Smith,  as  we  have  seen,  was  here  in  1772.    Elder 

'  Millet's  History  of  the  Baptists  in  Maine,  p.  294,  and  Centennial  First  Baptist  Church, 
Cherryfield,  1796-1896,  pp.  4,  5. 

^  "He  was,  as  his  name  signifies,  'lame  on  his  feet,'  or  as  it  is  sometimes  termed, 
'pumple  footed,'  and  his  journeys  were  performed  principally  on  horseback,  and  his 
sermons  prepared  as  he  rode  from  one  appointment  to  another.  His  early  advantages 
were  limited,  and  as  was  the  case  with  most  of  our  early  ministers,  he  was,  as  he  believed, 
led  by  the  Spirit  in  his  selection  of  texts  and  subjects  for  discourse ;  and  while  results 
very  frequently  justified  his  impressions,  yet  he  sometimes  made  a  mistake,  as  in  the 
instance  I  am  about  to  relate.  In  those  old  days  in  the  summer  season,  five  o'clock 
lectures  on  the  Sabbath  afternoon,  at  private  houses,  were  fashionable  and  profitable. 
And  these  were  the  occasions  on  which  the  Elder  enjoyed  the  largest  liberty,  and  in 
which,  as  he  believed,  he  was,  more  than  in  the  more  formal  services  of  the  day,  under 
the  guidance  of  the  Spirit.  It  is  told  of  him,  that  on  his  way  to  one  of  these  favorite 
appointments,  a  text  having  been  impressed  upon  his  mind,  he  had  an  unusually  good 
time  in  meditating  upon  it,  and  shaping  it  for  use ;  and  on  arriving  at  the  place  of  meet- 
ing he  fastened  his  horse  to  the  fence,  and  passing  through  quite  a  crowd  around  the 
house,  he  went  in  at  the  front  door,  and  prospected  until  he  saw  the  brother  he  wanted, 
to  whom  he  beckoned,  and  taking  him  out  and  on  one  side,  he  said  :  'My  dear  brother,  just 
as  I  got  on  to  my  horse  to  come  to  this  meeting,  the  Lord  gave  me  a  text  to  preach  from, 
and  while  meditating  it,  I  have  had  all  the  way  the  most  heavenly  time  a  man  ever  had  in 
the  flesh,  but  for  the  life  of  me  I  can't  remember  where  the  passage  is,  and  I  thought 
perhaps  you  might  help  me.  I  think  it  is  somewhere  in  the  Proverbs,  but  am  not  certain.' 
'If  you  can  grive  me  the  words,'  said  the  brother,  'perhaps  I  can  assist  you.'  'Well,'  said 
the  Elder,  'the  words  are  these,  "A  bird  in  the  hand  is  worth  two  in  the  bush."  '  'It's  a 
first-rate  text,'  said  the  brother,  with  a  laugh,  'but  I'm  quite  sure  it  isn't  in  the  Bible, 
but  think  you'll  find  it  in  Webster's  Spelling  Book  or  Esop's  Fables.'  The  Elder  was  of 
course  considerably  mortified,  but  regarding  the  sentiment  as  a  good  one,  he  got  a  new 
handle  to  his  discourse,  and  gave  the  people  the  subject  of  his  meditations,  which  was 
'that  a  present  possession  of  salvation  is  worth  more  than  a  future  expectation  of  it."' 
Rev.  C.  G.  Porter  in  Zion's  Advocate. 


\( ' 


i-f 

i 

"^S 

i  /* 

r— 

.':•'.  ^^ 

'"  W 

t 

^  _J 

THE   OLD   MEETING-HOUSE,    YARMOUTH. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  103 

Potter  was  in  the  place  in  his  evangelizing  tours  and 
about  the  year  1793  "preached  and  administered  the 
ordinance  of  baptism  at  the  Falls  to  three  candidates." 
Early  in  1795  the  Baptists  and  those  in  sympathy  with 
them  formed  an  association  for  the  purpose  of  sustaining 
permanently  the  ministry  of  the  word,  and  employed 
Rev.  Abraham  Cummings  of  Freeport  as  a  supply.  The 
church  was  organized  Jan.  18,  1797,  and  when  received 
into  the  association  had  seven  members.  The  old  meeting- 
house on  the  hill,  still  standing  but  remodeled  in  1837, 
was  built  in  1796,  at  a  cost  of  £1,358,  4s.,  5d.^ 

The  Bowdoinham  Association  in  1798  met  in  the  Baptist 
meeting-house  in  Brunswick,  now  East  Brunswick,  Aug. 
12th  and  13th.  Three  churches.  New  Vineyard,  Farming- 
ton  and  2d  Litchfield,  were  received  into  membership. 
New  Vineyard  had  among  its  first  settlers  Baptists  from 
Martha's  Vineyard.  Rev.  Isaac  Case  and  Rev.  Eliphalet 
Smith  were  active  in  the  formation  of  the  church  here, 
and  also  at  Farmington.  The  church  in  Bowdoin  in  con- 
nection with  the  labors  of  its  pastor.  Rev.  James  Potter, 
was  blessed  with  an  extensive  revival  this  year.  The 
Bowdoin  church  reported  58  additions,  the  2d  Bowdoin,  35, 
while  the  2d  Litchfield  was  gathered  from  the  fruits  of 
the  revival  there.  Rev.  John  Tripp  had  become  pastor  at 
Hebron.  He  was  born  in  Dartmouth,  later  Fair  Haven, 
Mass.,  March  25,  1761.  He  was  licensed  to  preach  Sept. 
18,  1787,  when  living  in  Edgartown,  Mass.,  and  was 
ordained  Sept.  29,  1791.  He  preached  in  Carver,  Mass., 
about  six  years,  and  came  from  Carver  to  Hebron  in  the 

'  Origin  and  Progress  of  the  Baptist  Church  in  Yarmouth,  Maine,  1861  [prepared  by 
Rev.  Thomas  B.  Ripley],  p.  4.  Centennial  Discourse  June  16,  1797,  by  Rev.  J.  H.  Bar- 
rows, pp.  1,  2.  The  first  pastor  of  the  Yarmouth  church  was  Dr.  Thomas  Green,  a 
physician,  who  came  from  Dan  vers,  Mass.,  where  for  about  three  years  he  had  been  the 
pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in  that  town.  He  was  a  son  of  Dr.  John  Green  of  Worces- 
ter, Mass.,  and  grrandson  of  Dr.  Thomas  Green,  also  a  physician  and  first  pastor  of  the 
Greenville  Baptist  church  in  Leicester,  Mass.  He  studied  theology  with  Rev.  Joseph 
Avery  (Congregational  minister  in  Holden)  after  studying  medicine  with  his  father  and 
practiced  medicine  in  Lexington,  Mass.  He  was  ordained  in  Cambridge,  Mass.,  Nov.  26, 
1783,  as  pastor  of  the  church  in  what  is  now  Arlington.  Later  he  was  pastor  in  Danvers, 
and  came  to  Yarmouth  in  1797.  See  Historical  Discourse  by  H.  C.  Estes.  D.  D.,  at  the 
One  Hundred  and  Fiftieth  Anniversary  of  Greenville  Baptist  Church,  Sept.  28,  1888, 
pp.  60-63. 


104  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

summer  of  1798,  but  was  not  installed  as  pastor  until  Feb. 
14,  1799.  Elder  James  Potter  preached  the  sermon  from 
1  Tim.  4:  16.  The  hand  of  fellowship  was  extended  by- 
Rev.  James  Hooper  of  Paris. 

Among  the  items  in  the  report  for  that  year  are  these  : 
'  'Attended  to  the  administration  of  the  ordinance  of  bap- 
tism to  two  subjects.  Attended  to  the  celebration  of 
the  Lord's  Supper,  agreeably  to  a  vote  of  the  association 
the  last  year,  to  have  said  ordinance  administered  at  our 
annual  meeting  in  future."  This  action  of  the  Bowdoin- 
ham  Association  with  reference  to  the  Lord's  Supper 
preceded  that  of  the  New  Hampshire  Association  by  one 
year.  The  innovation  was  short-lived.  In  1801,  it  was 
voted  to  ''suspend"  the  celebration  of  the  Supper  in  future 
meetings  of  the  association  "on  account  of  some  incon- 
veniences. ' ' 

Three  churches  were  added  to  the  association  at  the 
meeting  in  Livermore  Aug.  28  and  29,  1799,  Wales,  Jay 
and  Mt.  Vernon.  Wales  was  visited  by  Elder  Potter  as 
early  as  1793.  But  especially  was  the  influence  of  the 
great  revival  in  1798  and  1799  felt  in  the  place.  Jay 
seems  to  have  come  into  existence  with  the  aid  of  the 
neighboring  churches,  Livermore  and  Fayette,  while  Mt. 
Vernon,  at  first  known  as  Washington  Plantation,  and 
incorporated  in  1792  with  its  present  name,  shared  in  its 
earlier  history  the  self-denying  labors  of  Elder  Case.  The 
Litchfield  church  this  year  reported  82  additions ;  the  2d 
Litchfield,  72;  Thompsonborough,  formerly  the  2d  Bow- 
doin,  afterward  Lisbon,  46 ;  Bowdoin,  39 ;  Gushing,  39 ; 
Clinton,  29.  It  was  '  'Voted  to  recommend  to  the  churches 
in  the  association  to  raise  money  by  contribution  for  the 
support  of  a  Gospel  Mission,  and  to  bring  in  the  same  at 
our  annual  meeting.  Contributed  fifteen  dollars  at  the 
association  for  this  use."  It  was  also  voted  that  Elders 
Green,  Williams  and  Woodward  be  a  committee  to  super- 
intend the  business  relating  to  the  Gospel  Mission,  and 
Elder  Woodward  was  made  mission  treasurer. 

In  connection  with  the  association  occurred  the  ordina- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 


105 


tion  of  the  moderator,  Elisha  Williams,  a  member  of  the 
church  in  Livermore  and  a  licentiate  of  that  church  since 
1795.  June  29th  of  this  year  occurred  also  the  ordination 
of  Thomas  Francis  at  Wayne.  A  revival  of  religion  in 
Leeds  in  1795  resulted  in  a  large  number  of  conversions. 
By  the  efforts  of  some  Methodist  preachers  a  class  was 
formed  and  Mr.  Francis  was  appointed  class  leader,  but 
Mr.  Francis  and  some  others  were  not  satisfied  with  the 
doctrinal  views  of  the  Methodists.  Elder  Potter  visited 
the  place,  and  the  Methodists  left  the  field.  When  one 
asked  the  presiding  elder  what  had  become  of  his  class  at 
Leeds,  the  latter  wittily  replied,  "They  were  marred  in 
the  hands  of  the  Potter."  Elder  Case  was  also  a  helper 
in  this  pioneer  work  in  Leeds. 

The  Bowdoinham  Association  had  now  had  an  existence 
of  thirteen  years.  This  review  of  its  history  to  the  close 
of  the  century  shows  how  much  of  its  growth  and  pros- 
perity was  due,  under  God,  to  the  untiring  labors  of 
Elders  Case  and  Potter.  They  went  everywhere  preach- 
ing the  word,  and  their  preaching  was  in  demonstration  of 
the  Spirit  and  of  power.  That  the  churches  in  this  time 
increased  from  three  to  twenty-one,  and  the  members 
from  183  to  1,568,  was  very  largely  due  to  their  heroic  and 
self-denying  labors  divinely  blessed.  The  following  table 
presents  the  statistics  of  the  association  to  1800. 


2 

CQ 

.2 

73 
CO 

s 

T3 

a; 

•73 
X 

73 
0) 

2 

<u 

0) 

s 

o 

< 

Q 

W 

5 

s 

1787 

3 

3 

183 

1788 

3 

3 

1789 

4 

6 

11 

13 

14 

1 

288 

1790 

4 

6 

31 

2 

1 

317 

1791 

4 

10 

20 

23 

1 

2 

397 

1792 

6 

15 

51 

27 

3 

1 

566 

1793 

6 

19 

89 

42 

3 

695 

1794 

11 

21 

178 

24 

2 

887 

1795 

13 

23 

112 

20 

41 

9 

955 

1796 

15 

24 

92 

12 

15 

7 

1009 

1797 

17 

26 

65 

24 

19 

9 

1088 

1798 

18 

29 

187 

29 

41 

5 

1233 

1799 

21 

32 

388 

100 

48 

9 

1568 

106  HISTORY    OF    THE    BAPTISTS    IN    MAINE. 

The  statistics  for  1798  and  1799  show  how  largely  the 
churches  in  the  association  had  shared  in  the  great  revival 
influences  which  between  the  years  1797  and  1801  swept 
over  the  land,  following  a  period  of  comparative  religious 
dearth.  This  revival  took  a  much  stronger  hold  on  the 
real  life  of  New  England  piety  than  the  religious  awaken- 
ing of  1740.  It  was  not  attended  by  the  outward  physi- 
cal manifestations  which  characterized  that  display  of 
religious  feeling  and  emotion.  "Nor,  unlike  that  former 
religious  movement,  did  this  one  derive  its  impulse  at  all 
from  the  presence  of  a  celebrated  evangelist,  or  even 
from  the  use  of  the  itineracy  in  any  form.  .  .  ,  The 
work  sprang  up  almost  simultaneously  throughout  the 
churches  under  the  ministrations  of  their  own  pastors, 
and  progressed  under  the  visible  influence  of  only  such 
added  efforts  and  agencies  as  settled  ministers  are  able 
mutually  to  afford  one  to  another. "  ^  Those  who  came  into 
the  churches  at  this  time  bore  *  'a  stamp  of  experience  so 
deep,  and  on  the  whole  so  genuine,  that  they  were  of 
inestimable  value  to  every  interest  of  the  Christian  king- 
dom."^ Abundant  illustration  of  this  fact  we  shall  have 
in  the  chapters  that  follow. 

'  Some  Aspects  of  the  Religious  Life  of  New  England,  by  George  Leon  Walker,  D.  D., 
p.  135. 

^  Some  Aspects  of  the  Religious  Life  of  New  England,  by  George  Leon  Walker,  D.  D. 
p.  146. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


Missionary  Activity. 

When  the  eighteenth  century  came  to  a  close  much  had 
already  been  accomplished  by  the  Baptists  of  Maine  in 
organizing  and  developing  churches.  Within  the  limits 
of  the  district  there  were  forty-two  churches,  viz.,  in 
the  New  Hampshire  Association,  Berwick  at  the  Great 
Hill,  Sanford,  Wells  and  Berwick,  Coxhall  (Lyman) ,  Shap- 
leigh,  Waterborough,  Cornish,  Fryeburg,  Limerick,  Par- 
sonsfield  and  Newfield  ;  in  the  Bowdoinham  Association, 
Bowdoinham,  Harpswell,  Thomaston,  Bowdoin  (Web- 
ster), Vassalborough,  Ballstown  (Whitefield) ,  Sydney, 
Litchfield,  Hebron,  Buckfield,  Paris,  Lewiston,  Readfield, 
Fayette,  Miscongus  ^  Island,  Cushing,  Nobleborough,  Liver- 
more,  Greene,  Wayne,  Lisbon,  Barrettstown  (Hope),  New 
Gloucester,  Clinton,  North  Yarmouth,  Harlem  (China), 
New  Vineyard  (Industry),  Farmington,  2d  Litchfield, 
Wales,  Jay  and  Mount  Vernon.  These  forty  churches  had 
a  membership  of  2,186. 

From  the  beginning  of  the  movement  resulting  in  the 
organization  of  these  churches  much  missionary  activity 
had  been  manifested.  Rev.  Nehemiah  Lord  of  Wells,  we 
have  seen,  early  made  his  way  to  the  scattered  settlements 
east  of  Falmouth.  In  Case  and  Potter  and  Snow,  Bow- 
doinham Association  had  men  of  untiring  missionary  activ- 
ity. In  1789,  they  were  appointed  to  supply  Ballstown, 
Harpswell  and  Vassalborough,  with  this  end  in  view,  that 
each  of  these  churches  should  have  preaching  on  two 
Sundays  during  the  year.  In  1792,  appointments  were 
made  for  preaching  in  ten  churches.  Arrangements  for 
such  "supplies"  were  made  annually.     But  enlarged  mis- 

^  So  in  the  Minutes  ;  now  Muscongus. 


108  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

sionary  operations  were  contemplated  with  the  opening  of 
the  new  century.  The  revival  influences  abroad  in  the 
churches  evidently  had  a  quickening  effect,  awakening  a 
missionary  impulse  and  strengthening  the  desire  for  a 
larger  harvest  of  souls. 

It  was  doubtless  at  the  suggestion  of  Rev.  Isaac  Case 
that  this  missionary  movement  on  the  part  of  the  churches 
in  the  District  of  Maine  was  taken.  He  was  present  at 
the  New  Hampshire  Association  June  13,  1799,  when  it 
was  voted  to  send  a  missionary  to  preach  and  administer 
the  ordinances  of  the  gospel  in  the  eastern  country.  He 
was  also  present  at  the  Bowdoinham  Association  Aug.  29, 
1799,  when  it  was  voted  to  recommend  to  the  churches  in 
the  association  to  raise  money  by  contribution  for  the  sup- 
port of  a  Gospel  Mission.  He  knew  the  needs  of  those 
scattered  settlements  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  district, 
and  he  was  ready  in  the  full  vigor  of  a  sturdy  manhood  to 
consecrate  himself  to  this  service.  Because  of  his  interest 
in  the  work,  and  his  especial  adaptation  to  it,  he  was 
selected  as  the  first  missionary  of  Bowdoinham  Associa- 
tion. Resigning  his  pastorate  at  Readfield,  he  accepted 
his  appointment  with  the  prospect  of  a  scanty  support, 
and  hurried  away  to  the  eastern  country  on  his  "Gospel 
Mission." 

No  record  of  that  missionary  journey,  so  far  as  I  am 
aware,  has  been  preserved,  but  when  the  Bowdoinham 
Association  met  in  Greene  Aug.  27  and  28,  1800,  the  mis- 
sionary was  present  with  a  report  of  his  labors.  In  the 
Minutes  of  the  association  is  the  following  entry :  *  'Agree- 
able to  a  vote  of  the  association  the  last  year,  Elder  Case 
visited  the  new  settlements  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
Province  of  Maine  as  a  missionary  to  preach  the  gospel  in 
places  destitute  of  settled  ministers,  who  reported  a  very 
pleasing  account  of  the  advancement  of  the  Redeem- 
er's kingdom  in  many  places  he  visited,  and  that  there 
appeared  to  be  a  door  opened  for  great  usefulness  in 
preaching  the  gospel  in  those  parts."  There  is  also  this 
added  statement:  "Agreeable  to  a  request  of  the  associa- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  109 

tion  the  last  year,  a  contribution  was  received  from  some 
of  our  churches,  societies  and  individuals  present,  for  the 
support  of  a  Gospel  Mission,  amounting  to  $43.10." 

The  New  Hampshire  Association  at  its  meeting  at  Brent- 
wood, June  11  and  12, 1800,  "Chose  Elders  William  Hooper, 
Henry  Smith,  and  William  Batchelder  to  employ  a  suitable 
ordained  elder  as  a  missionary  to  travel  into  the  eastern 
parts  to  preach  and  administer  the  ordinances  of  the  gos- 
pel." Contributions  were  announced  as  follows  :  Berwick 
church  at  the  Great  Hill,  $6.00;  Waterborough,  $4.50; 
Newton,  $10.00.  Contributions  in  the  other  churches 
when  collected  were  to  be  paid  to  Elder  Henry  Smith, 
treasurer.  The  collection  at  the  association  for  the  Gospel 
Mission  amounted  to  $25.70. 

Elder  John  Tripp  of  Hebron  made  a  missionary  journey 
to  the  eastward  in  January  and  February,  1801,  and  his 
report  of  this  journey  is  the  earliest  missionary  record 
that  has  come  down  to  us.     He  says  :  * 

'  'Under  a  great  sense  of  unworthiness  and  unfitness  for 
the  business,  on  the  26th  day  of  January,  1801,  I  set  out 
on  a  mission  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  destitute  in  the 
eastern  parts  of  this  country.  On  my  journey  I  preached 
at  Brunswick,  Warren  and  Belfast,  but  with  little  freedom 
or  prospect  of  success.  And  after  crossing  the  Penobscot 
river,  and  traveling  east  far  beyond  all  my  acquaintance, 
in  my  discouragement  I  had  sober  thoughts  of  return- 
ing, but  several  passages  of  Scripture  coming  to  my 
mind  (Luke  9 :  62,  Math.  10  :  37  with  Luke  14 :  26),  fully 
determined  me  to  press  forward.  Providence  permitting, 
let  my  feelings  be  as  they  might.  Coming  to  a  neighbor- 
hood in  the  town  of  Orland  at  almost  sunset,  February  4, 
a  meeting  was  called,  and  I  preached  with  freedom,  and  I 
think  the  Lord  was  there.  On  the  6th,  I  came  to  Union 
River.  Before  I  reached  that  place,  I  felt  an  unwilling- 
ness to  spend  the  Lord's  day  there,  having  understood 
that  the  Methodists  preached  there,  concluding,  that  if  so, 

*The  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Regrister,  Vol.  1,  Aujrust,  1806,  pp.  6.  7.  In  it  were 
recorded  reports  of  missionary  labors  "both  before  and  since  the  regrular  establishment 
of  the  Society." 


110  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

the  people  would  not  wish  to  hear  me.  But  I  could  not 
well  get  farther,  and  coming  there  I  found  that  Provi- 
dence had  opened  the  way.  On  Lord's  day,  February  8th, 
I  preached  there  three  sermons  to  a  large  and  attentive 
assembly.  My  soul  was  refreshed,  and  so  I  think  were 
the  souls  of  many. 

"The  next  day  I  preached  at  Newbury  Neck  (South 
Surry) ,  in  the  vicinity  of  Union  River,  and  found  a  number 
of  precious  Christians,  some  of  whom  were  in  connection 
with  the  Methodists.  We  spent  an  exceedingly  happy 
evening  in  relating  to  each  other  the  experiences  of  our 
souls.  I  found  them  so  much  better  indoctrinated  than  I 
expected,  that  I  was  filled  with  astonishment,  and  could 
not  but  give  glory  to  God  for  what  I  saw  and  heard,  and 
that  ever  I  was  brought  to  that  place. 

"I  preached  several  times  in  the  week,  and  again  on 
Lord's  day  at  Union  River,  three  sermons.  The  attention 
was  remarkable,  my  soul  seemed  to  be  alive,  and  my 
tenderness  towards  the  people  cannot  be  expressed.  On 
Monday,  16th,  preached  again  at  Newbury  Neck  with  a 
sweet  freedom  of  soul ;  and  the  conversation  with  indi- 
viduals after  the  meeting  was  agreeable  beyond  descrip- 
tion. And  blessed  be  the  Lord  for  what  of  religion  I 
unexpectedly  found  in  that  place. 

"Being  about  to  set  out  homewards,  on  Tuesday  even- 
ing, February  17th,  I  preached  at  Patten's  Bay  [Surry 
Village] ,  and  how  shall  I  describe  the  peculiar  heart  exer- 
cises of  that  interview.  .  .  .  That  evening  and  the 
next  morning,  I  took  my  leave  of  them,  which  was  quite 
affecting,  at  least  to  me.  Never  was  I  more  sensible  that 
I  was  in  the  work  of  the  Lord,  and  in  the  place  where  he 
would  have  me,  than  while  at  and  about  Union  River." 

In  the  records  of  the  first  meeting  of  the  Massachusetts 
Baptist  Missionary  Society,  held  in  Boston,  May  26,  1802, 
is  this  entry:  "The  reverend  Messrs.  Isaac  Case,  John 
Tripp  and  Joseph  Cornell  were  appointed  missionaries,  the 
two  former  to  visit  the  new  settlements  in  the  District  of 
Maine  and  New  Hampshire ;  the  latter  to  visit  the  new 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  Ill 

settlements  in  the  northv/esterly  parts  of  New  York  and 
the  adjacent  settlements  in  Canada."  June  17,  1802,  Mr. 
Tripp  set  out  for  Mt.  Desert  with  Mr.  Case.  He  also 
preached  at  Union  River  and  other  places  which  he  visited 
in  the  preceding  year.  In  October  he  spent  a  week  in  the 
new  settlements  upon  and  near  the  Androscoggin  river. 
He  spent  a  Sunday  at  Bethel.  "I  affected  not  to  be  a  Cal- 
vinist  or  Arminian,  but  a  Christian  minister.  I  endeav- 
ored not  to  confound  my  hearers  with  bold  assertions,  but 
as  much  as  in  me  lay  to  inform  their  understandings ; 
and  I  have  reason  to  hope  it  was  not  altogether  in  vain." 
In  May  he  was  again  in  Bethel.  In  June  he  visited  Rum- 
ford,  Paris,  Andover,  Bethel  and  Little's  Grant. 

In  both  the  New  Hampshire  and  Bowdoinham  Associa- 
tions contributions  were  still  made  for  the  support  of  a 
Gospel  Mission.  The  amount  raised  in  the  Bowdoinham 
Association  reported  in  the  Minutes  for  1803  was  $81.00, 
of  \^hich  $48.00  were  collected  at  the  association. 

In  a  report  of  missionary  labor  made  Feb.  10,  1803, 
Mr.  Case  says  he  had  visited  Meduncook  (Friendship), 
Goshen  (Vienna),  Thomaston,  Camden,  Canaan,  Vassal- 
borough,  Fox  Island,  Mt.  Desert,  Ballstown  (Whitefield), 
Hartford,  Sumner  and  Thompson's  Grant.  Of  the  two 
persons  whom  he  baptized  in  Camden,  one  was  a  woman 
who  had  been  led  to  embrace  Christ  in  1783,  by  a  fitting 
word  spoken  by  Mr.  Case  at  her  father's  house.  At  Vas- 
salborough  he  had  the  aid  of  Rev.  Daniel  Merrill,  the 
Congregational  pastor  at  Sedgwick,  "who  was  also  out 
on  a  mission,"  and  Mr.  Case  adds:  "We  mutually  joined 
together  as  two  brothers  engaged  in  the  same  great 
cause."  At  Fox  Island  Mr.  Case  felt  in  some  measure 
as  Paul  did  at  Mar's  Hill.  He  concluded  his  report  with 
these  words:  "There  were  so  many  doors  opened  for 
preaching  that  I  hardly  knew  what  course  to  steer,  or 
what  place  stood  in  most  need.  For  if  I  had  had  a  dozen 
bodies  and  as  many  tongues,  they  might  have  been  all 
employed  among  the  poor  and  destitute  who  desire  to 
hear,  and  thankfully  attend  on  the  preached  word." 


112  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

In  the  preceding  year,  1802,  some  of  the  inhabitants  of 
the  upper  part  of  Arundel  (Kennebunkport),  wishing  to 
have  reHgious  services  near  their  homes,  erected  a  meet- 
ing-house. The  parish  minister,  however,  was  not  wilHng 
to  divide  his  time  with  them,  nor  could  they  secure  another 
preacher  of  the  Standing  Order.  At  that  time  the  foot- 
steps of  Andrew  Sherburne  were  directed  thither,  and 
he  was  asked  to  preach.  He  complied  with  the  request, 
and  in  December,  1802,  the  owners  of  the  new  meeting- 
house agreed  to  consider  themselves  a  Baptist  society,  and 
invited  Mr.  Sherburne  to  become  their  pastor.  In  June, 
1803,  a  Baptist  church  of  thirteen  members  was  organized, 
with  Mr.  Sherburne  as  pastor.^ 

Rev.  Sylvanus  Boardman  of  Livermore  performed  mis- 
sionary service  for  the  association  early  in  1804,  visiting 
Industry,  Norridgewock,  Canaan  (Skowhegan),  Anson, 
New  Portland,  Greenstown,  Carratunk.  "I  went  to  the 
uppermost  house  in  the  highest  settlement  on  Kennebec 
river,  and  there  found  a  professed  brother  and  sister  of 
our  order,  the  first  I  had  seen  since  I  left  Canaan ;  and 
my  interview  with  them  was  very  happy.  I  was  then 
about  ninety  miles  above  Hallo  well,  but  soon  returned  to 
the  middle  and  lower  settlements."  He  was  absent  from 
home  twenty-eight  days  and  preached  twenty-eight  times. 

Rev.  P.  P.  Roots,  a  missionary  of  the  Massachusetts 
Baptist  Missionary  Society,  received  at  the  close  of  May 
an  appointment  to  visit  the  District  of  Maine.  At  Balls- 
town,  Davistown  and  Greene  revivals  had  occurred.  At 
Northport  he  met  Rev.  Isaac  Case.  After  crossing  the 
Penobscot  river  he  came  into  '  'a  very  destitute  country. ' ' 
"Mr.  Steel  of  Machias  is  the  only  minister  I  found  after 
leaving  Bluehill,  till  I  came  to  Elder  Murphy's  at  Moose 
Island  [Eastport] ,  which,  I  suppose,  is  nearly  one  hundred 
and  fifty  miles." 

Mr.  Case  at  this  time  visited  Fox  Island  and  Islesbor- 
ough.    At  the  latter  place  an  extensive  revival  was  in 

'  Mr.  Sherburne  was  pastor  of  the  church  until  1819.  See  Memoirs  of  Andrew  Sher- 
burne, a  Pensioner  of  the  Navy  of  the  Revolution,  written  by  himself,  pp.  205-207.  His- 
tory of  the  Baptist  Church,  Kennebunkport,  by  Rev.  I.  B.  Mower,  pp.  7,  8. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  113 

progress.  Sixty  or  seventy  had  been  converted  within 
two  months,  and  the  work  had  extended  to  all  parts  of 
the  town.  "As  to  the  instruments  that  God  hath  made 
use  of  in  this  reformation,"  he  wrote, ^  "some  date  their 
first  awakening  from  hearing  Mr.  Sewall  preach  the  last 
fall ;  and  others  were  awakened  under  my  feeble  labors 
when  here  last  April.  But  the  work  hath  been  mainly 
carried  on  under  the  preaching  of  Brother  Pilsbury,  and 
the  prayers,  exhortations,  singing  and  private  conversa- 
tion of  three  pious  young  men,  who  have  been  studying 
with  Mr.  Merrill,  with  a  view  to  the  ministry.  One  of 
these  young  men  is  a  member  of  a  Baptist  church."  The 
names  of  these  young  men  were  Henry  Hale,  Phinehas 
Pilsbury,  and  William  Allen.  The  latter  was  a  Baptist, 
the  other  two  were  Congregationalists.  Mr.  Allen  became 
pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Jefferson  in  1809."  Pils- 
bury was  baptized  by  Mr.  Case  at  Islesborough  with  other 
converts  on  this  missionary  tour.  '  'By  reading  his  Bible, ' ' 
says  Mr.  Case,  "he  was  convinced  that  he  was  never  bap- 
tized before."  He  was  ordained  at  Fayette,  Jan.  3,  1805, 
and  he  became  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Noble- 
borough  in  1808.  Mr.  Hale  was  baptized  by  Mr.  Case  at 
Vinalhaven  about  the  same  time  as  the  others  mentioned, 
and  soon  after  received  ordination  as  an  evangelist.  He 
traveled  extensively  as  a  missionary  in  the  eastern  part  of 
the  State  and  British  Provinces,  and  was  afterward  set- 
tled as  the  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Charleston. 

During  this  missionary  tour  Mr.  Case  preached  in  twelve 
towns,  and  baptized  seventy-two  persons.  '  'The  blessings 
bestowed  on  the  people  where  I  have  been,"  he  writes, 
"the  comfort  I  have  enjoyed,  are  beyond  what  my  pen  can 
describe.  Our  meetings  have  been  refreshing,  and  our 
parting  scenes  affecting." 

'  Massachusetts  Baptist  Missionary  Magazine,  Vol.  1,  p.  87. 

'  Mr.  Allen  was  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  church,  Jefferson,  until  a  year  before  his 
death,  which  occurred  April  10,  1836.  He  was  an  earnest  preacher  and  an  unwearied 
pastor.  To  promote  the  spiritual  welfare  of  his  people  was  the  dearest  object  of  his 
heart.    A  son,  Lorenzo  B.  Allen,  graduated  at  Waterville  College  in  1835. 


114  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

The  object  of  the  Massachusetts  Baptist  Missionary- 
Society,  organized  in  Boston  May  26, 1802,  was  '  'to  furnish 
occasional  preaching,  and  to  promote  the  knowledge  of 
evangelistic  truth  in  the  new  settlements  within  these 
United  States ;  or  further  if  circumstances  should  render 
it  proper."  Messrs.  Case  and  Tripp,  as  we  have  seen, 
were  in  the  service  of  this  society  as  missionaries  from  its 
organization,  and  in  this  relation  they  and  their  breth- 
ren learned  the  value  of  organized  missionary  effort  in 
advancing  the  Redeemer's  Kingdom.  The  Baptists  in  the 
District  of  Maine  were  not  slow  in  following  the  example 
of  the  Massachusetts  Baptists.  A  constitution,  closely  fol- 
lowing that  of  the  Massachusetts  Baptist  Missionary 
Society,  was  prepared,  printed  and  sent  to  those  who  were 
especially  interested  in  missionary  work,  and  Sept.  27, 
1804,  in  connection  with  the  meeting  of  the  Bowdoinham 
Association  at  Readfield,  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary 
Society  was  organized.^ 

The  following  constitution  was  adopted : 

"Article  1st.  This  society  shall  be  distinguished  and 
known  by  the  name  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary 
Society. 

*  'Art.  2d.  The  society  shall  be  composed  of  such  mem- 
bers only  as  shall  subscribe  and  pay  at  least  half  a  dollar 
annually  to  its  funds. 

'  'Art.  3d.  The  members  at  their  first  meeting,  and  at 
their  annual  meeting  ever  after,  shall  by  ballot  appoint 
nine  trustees,  six  whereof  shall  be  ministers  or  professing 
brethren  of  the  Baptist  denomination— the  other  three 
may  be  chosen  from  the  members  at  large— who  shall 
conduct  the  business  in  the  manner  hereafter  described. 

^  There  is  no  record  of  the  preliminary  meeting.  The  first  record  book  of  the  society 
opens  with  a  transcript  of  the  constitution,  to  which  is  added  the  date  Jan.  7,  1804. 
Evidently  this  is  the  date  of  the  meeting-  at  which  the  constitution  was  prepared  in  order 
to  be  sent  to  ministers  and  others  who  were  interested  in  the  new  movement,  or  whose 
interest  was  desired.  The  organization  occurred  at  Readfield,  Sept.  27,  1804.  The  record 
in  the  Minutes  of  the  Bowdoinham  Association,  under  the  date  Thursday,  September 
27th,  is  as  follows  :  "In  the  afternoon  a  meeting  was  held  for  the  establishment  of  a  Mis- 
sionary Society  ;  a  sermon  preached  ;  society  organized,  and  120  dollars  collected." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  115 

"Art.  4th.  The  object  of  this  society  shall  be  to  fur- 
nish occasional  preaching,  gather  churches  and  to  promote 
the  knowledge  of  evangelical  truth  in  new  settlements 
within  the  limits  of  the  United  States  or  farther  if  circum- 
stances may  render  it  proper. 

"Art.  5th.  The  trustees  [shall]  have  power  to  apply 
the  funds  of  the  society  according  to  their  discretion  in  all 
cases  in  which  they  shall  not  be  limited  by  special  direc- 
tions of  the  society. 

"Art.  6th.  They  shall  have  power  to  appoint  and  dis- 
miss missionaries,  to  pay  them  and  generally  to  transact 
the  business  necessary  for  the  accomplishment  of  the 
important  object  of  the  society. 

"Art.  7th.  The  trustees  shall  annually  appoint  a  secre- 
tary, who  shall  keep  a  correct  and  fair  account  of  the  pro- 
ceedings, which  shall  be  read  at  their  next  succeeding 
meeting.  They  shall  also  make  choice  of  one  of  their 
number  to  preside,  who  with  three  other  trustees  shall  be 
a  quorum  to  do  business,  or  if  the  stated  chairman  shall 
not  be  present  any  four  of  the  trustees  shall  be  a 
quorum. 

"Art.  8th.  The  chairman  shall  have  power  to  call  a 
meeting  of  the  trustees  at  his  discretion.  It  shall  be  his 
duty  to  call  such  a  meeting  whenever  requested  by  three 
of  the  trustees.  In  case  of  the  death  of  the  chairman,  the 
secretary,  when  applied  to  as  above,  shall  call  a  meeting 
in  order  to  appoint  another,  or  transact  other  necessary 
business. 

"Art.  9th.  The  society  shall  annually  appoint  a  treas- 
urer who  shall  exhibit  both  to  the  society  and  to  the 
trustees  a  state  of  the  treasury  whenever  he  shall  be  called 
on  for  that  purpose. 

"Art.  10th.  The  trustees  shall  annually  exhibit  to  the 
society  a  particular  [account]  of  the  missionaries  employed 
by  them,  the  places  to  which  they  are,  or  have  been  sent, 
the  state  of  the  funds,  the  receipts  and  expenditures  and 
whatever  relates  to  the  institution. 


116  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

"Art.  llth.^  The  trustees,  and  all  other  officers  of  this 
society,  shall  enter  upon  their  respective  offices  on  Thurs- 
day following  the  fourth  Wednesday  of  September  annu- 
ally and  shall  continue  in  office  one  year. 

'  'Art.  12th.  The  society  shall  hold  their  first  meeting 
for  the  choice  of  officers  at  the  Baptist  meeting-house  in 
Readfield  on  the  Thursday  following  the  fourth  Wednes- 
day in  September  at  2  o'clock  P.  M.,  and  in  every  year 
thereafter  at  the  place  and  time  which  shall  be  appointed 
by  the  society. 

"Art.  13th.  In  order  more  effectually  to  aid  the  inten- 
tion of  the  society,  it  is  proposed  that  a  sermon  be  deliv- 
ered at  the  time  and  place  of  holding  their  annual  meeting, 
and  a  public  contribution  by  the  people. 

*  'Art.  .14th.  It  shall  be  in  the  power  of  the  society  at 
their  annual  meeting,  from  time  to  time,  to  make  such 
amendments  and  alterations  as  experience  shall  dictate,  or 
to  dissolve  the  same  when  the  purposes  of  its  institution 
shall  render  its  existence  no  longer  necessary." 

The  object  of  the  society,  like  that  of  the  Massachu- 
setts society,  was  exceeding  broad.  Its  operations  were 
not  confined  to  the  District  of  Maine.  The  missionary 
work  already  performed  by  some  of  the  founders  of  the 
society  had  extended  into  the  neighboring  State  of  New 
Hampshire.  Calls  for  service  might  take  them  into  the 
neighboring  British  Provinces.  Accordingly  they  made 
their  object  in  organizing  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary 
Society  "to  furnish  occasional  preaching,  gather  churches 
and  to  promote  the  knowledge  of  evangelical  truth  in  new 
settlements  within  the  limits  of  the  United  States  or  far- 
ther if  circumstances  may  render  it  proper."  They  had 
caught  the  breath  of  the  new  era,  and  they  did  not  know 
what  fields  the  new  century  upon  which  they  had  entered 
might  open  to  them  in  our  vast  domain,  and  even  beyond. 
Like  their  Massachusetts  brethren,  they  had  in  mind,  it 

^  This  article  was  amended  Sept.  26,  1811,  so  as  to  read  as  follows  : 

"Art.  11th.    The  trustees  and  all  other  officers  of  this  society  shall  continue  in  office 

during  the  pleasure  of  the  society,  and  shall  have  power  to  fill  vacancies  which  may  be 

Occasioned  by  death  or  otherwise." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  117 

may  be,  the  work  of  Carey  and  his  associates  in  India,  and 
the  thought  was  not  wanting  that  in  due  time  an  opportu- 
nity might  present  itself  for  missionary  work  on  the  other 
side  of  the  globe. 

At  this  first  meeting  of  the  society,  the  following  were 
chosen  trustees :  Rev.  John  Tripp,  Rev.  Sylvanus  Board- 
man,  Rev.  Robert  Low,  Dr.  Cyrus  Hamlin,  Rev.  Isaac 
Case,  Rev.  Samuel  Woodward,  Rev.  William  Coding,  Rev. 
Oliver  Billings  and  Rev.  Nathaniel  Chase. 

John  Tripp,  ordained  at  Carver,  Mass.,  in  1791,  had  been 
pastor  at  Hebron  since  1798,  and  was  pastor  there  until 
his  death,  in  1848.^  Sylvanus  Boardman,  father  of  George 
Dana,  and  whose  ancestors  in  Cambridge,  Mass.,  for 
three  generations  had  held  the  office  of  town  clerk,  and 
the  stewardship  of  Harvard  College  for  nearly  a  century, 
had  for  two  years  been  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in 
Livermore.  Robert  Low  had  been  pastor  at  New  Glouces- 
ter since  1800,  and  spent  most  of  his  ministry  there  and 
at  Readfield.  Dr.  Cyrus  Hamlin,  father  of  Hannibal 
Hamlin,  Vice-President  of  the  United  States,  was  then 
living  in  Livermore,  but  in  1805,  when  the  County  of 
Oxford  was  formed,  he  was  appointed  clerk  of  courts  and 
removed  to  Paris  Hill,  where  he  lived  until  his  death,  Feb. 
2,  1829,  Isaac  Case  had  in  1800  resigned  his  pastorate  at 
Readfield,  but  it  was  still  his  home,  and  from  that  central 
position  in  the  district  he  was  actively  engaged  in  his 
ministry  at  large.  Samuel  Woodward  was  one  of  the 
earliest  converts  in  connection  with  Isaac  Case's  labors  at 
Harpswell,  was  ordained  in  his  own  house  at  East  Bruns- 

*  Mr.  Tripp  was  buried  in  the  cemetery  in  the  rear  of  the  Baptist  church  at  Hebron. 
A  monument,  erected  by  the  young  men  of  the  place,  marks  the  spot,  and  bears  this 
inscription : 

"In  Memory  of 
Rev.  John  Tripp,  A.  M. 

who 

Died  Sept.  16,  A.  D.  1847, 

Ae.  86  ys ; 

Minister  of  the  Gospel  56  ys ; 

Pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  in  Hebron  49  ys  ; 

Beloved  by  his  people,  and 

Respected  by  all  who  knew  him." 


118  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

wick,  Oct.  11,  1792,  but  had  retired  from  the  pastorate  of 
the  Brunswick  church  in  1801,  and  was  still  a  resident  of 
the  place.  William  Goding  had  been  ordained  as  an  evan- 
gelist in  1802,  was  living  in  Wayne,  where  he  preached 
most  of  the  time  until  1807,  when  he  became  pastor  of 
the  church  in  Acton,  continuing  in  that  office  until  1835. 
Oliver  Billings  was  one  of  the  early  converts  in  Fayette, 
was  ordained  as  an  evangelist  in  1800,  and  shortly  after 
was  made  pastor  of  the  Fayette  church,  continuing  in 
the  pastorate  until  his  death,  July  31,  1842.  Nathaniel 
Chase  was  pastor  of  the  church  in  Buckfield,  having  been 
ordained  in  1800 ;  and  he  continued  in  the  Buckfield  pas- 
torate until  1835.  "His  father  was  a  Massachusetts  sol- 
dier in  the  French  and  Indian  War,  and  was  one  of  a  force 
which  came  into  this  district  for  the  protection  of  the 
settlers.  The  father  afterward  settled  in  Windham  ;  and 
both  he  and  his  son  Nathaniel  fought  in  the  Revolutionary 
army.  In  March,  1781,  Nathaniel,  on  snow-shoes,  with 
an  ax  and  provisions,  set  out  through  the  woods  to  select 
a  lot  of  State  land  for  his  home.  He  reached  what  is  now 
Buckfield,  cleared  a  farm  and  settled  there  for  life.  He 
was  a  godless  man  until  twenty-eight  years  old.  Then, 
after  many  convictions  of  sin  and  struggles  for  peace, 
he  heard  Mr.  Potter  preach  in  the  neighborhood,  and  by 
means  of  that  sermon  found  peace  in  believing."^  Stal- 
wart Christian  men  were  these.  They  knew  the  spiritual 
needs  of  the  district,  and  they  possessed  in  the  largest 
degree  the  confidence  of  the  churches. 

Rev.  Sylvanus  Boardman  was  elected  chairman.  Dr. 
Cyrus  Hamlin,  secretary,  and  Oliver  Billings,  treasurer. 
The  employment  and  superintendence  of  missionaries  were 
entrusted  to  a  committee  consisting  of  Rev.  Sylvanus 
Boardman,  Rev.  John  Tripp,  and  Rev.  Robert  Low. 

The  imperfect  records  of  the  time  give  us  only  occa- 
sional glimpses  of  the  missionary  work  undertaken  by  the 
society.  Oct.  14,  1804,  Mr.  Case  visited  Northport,  Isles- 
borough,   and   Castine,   holding  meetings  and  baptizing 

^  Centennial  Review  of  Bowdoinham  Association,  by  Rev.  E.  S.  Small,  p.  22. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  119 

thirty-six  converts.  At  Castine,  November  9th,  he  organ- 
ized a  church  consisting  of  eighteen  members,  "a  Httle 
handful  of  despised,  solemn,  loving  disciples."  Referring 
to  those  whom  he  baptized  on  this  tour,  Mr.  Case  says : 
*  'Two  of  them  are  young  men  by  the  names  of  Henry  Hale 
and  Thomas  Perkins.  They  are  at  present  studying  with 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Merrill  of  Sedgwick,  with  a  view  to  the 
ministry.  It  will  be  natural  for  you  to  inquire  what  effect 
it  has  upon  Mr.  Merrill,  his  students  becoming  Baptists. 
I  will  just  say  I  have  made  him  a  short  visit,  and  find  him 
fully  convinced  ofbelieve7''s  baptism  by  immersion."^ 

At  the  close  of  his  report  of  this  tour,  Mr.  Case  writes  : 
"Within  about  fourteen  months  I  have  baptized  upwards 
of  one  hundred  and  fifty  persons  upon  the  islands  of  the 
sea,  and  in  the  towns  adjoining.  Two  new  churches  have 
been  planted,  and  considerable  additions  made  to  two 
more.  It  is  the  Lord's  doings  and  it  is  marvelous  in  our 
eyes.  ...  I  have  lately  returned  from  a  journey  up 
Sandy  and  Kennebec  rivers.  .  .  .  The  work  of  God  is 
going  on  in  Readfield.  We  have  received  twenty-seven  by 
baptism.  The  work  has  lately  begun,  and  is  still  going  on 
in  Mt.  Vernon.  Elder  Billings  has  baptized  twenty-eight 
in  Fayette.  Livermore  has  also  shared  in  the  unspeak- 
able blessing.  Elder  Boardman  has  baptized  more  than 
twenty,  chiefly  young  people.  One  of  them  is  his  eldest 
daughter,  about  nine  years  old. ' ' 

The  trustees  of  the  Missionary  Society  met  in  Fayette, 
Jan.  2,  1805.  At  this  meeting  the  chairman  was  given 
power  to  draw  orders  on  the  treasurer.  It  was  also  voted 
to  give  five  dollars  per  week  to  the  missionaries  of  the 
society  and  to  pay  their  expenses.  The  treasurer  reported 
funds  in  hand  to  the  amount  of  $145.00. 

Rev.  Phinehas  Pilsbury  was  employed  by  the  Maine  Bap- 
tist Missionary  Society  in  1805.  In  a  letter  to  the  chair- 
man of  the  committee,  dated  Feb.  1,  1806,  he  wrote:  "I 
set  out  on  my  mission  on  Saturday,  Aug.  10,  1805,  and  rode 
to  Castine  and  visited  at  Cape  Rosea  [Rosier]  and  spent 

^  The  Massachusetts  Baptist  Missionary  Magrazine,  Vol.  1.  pp.  107,  108. 


120  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

the  Sabbath  with  them,  and  preached  with  a  good  degree 
of  freedom  to  about  fifty  or  sixty  very  attentive  hearers. 
Here  is  a  small  Baptist  church  of  eighteen  members  lately 
constituted.  They  stand  in  great  need  of  help.  I  then 
crossed  to  Long  Island,  and  delivered  two  discourses  to  a 
large  number  of  very  lively  Christians.  I  next  went  to 
the  main,  and  made  on  towards  Penobscot  river,  and  called 
upon  the  brethren  at  Mount  Ephraim,  and  spent  one 
Lord's  day  with  them.  ...  I  next  visited  the  back 
settlements  in  Frankfort  and  Hampden,  upon  Penobscot 
river,  and  preached  a  number  of  times,  and  spent  one 
Lord's  day  among  them.  .  .  .  Being  under  necessity 
to  return  to  Vinalhaven,  on  my  way  I  preached  a  num- 
ber of  lectures  to  very  crowded  assemblies.  The  people  in 
those  parts  are  very  attentive  to  meetings.  They  appear 
to  have  an  hearing  ear;  may  God  give  them  an  under- 
standing heart." 

Later,  on  another  missionary  journey,  Mr.  Pilsbury 
'Visited  Northport,  where  there  is  a  very  needy  branch 
of  the  church  of  Mount  Ephraim  [Swanville] . "  Then  he 
revisited  the  places  on  the  Penobscot  already  mentioned. 
In  prosecuting  his  work  he  spent  forty-four  days  in  the 
service  of  the  society,  visiting  sixteen  towns  or  plantations 
and  preaching  fifty-two  times. 

In  the  Minutes  of  the  Bowdoinham  Association,  held  at 
Mt.  Vernon  Sept.  25  and  26,  1805,  there  is  the  following 
reference  to  the  Missionary  Society  :  *  'After  a  short  inter- 
mission a  discourse  introductory  to  the  missionary  business 
was  preached  by  Brother  Tripp  from  Jonah  3 :  2,  'Arise, 
go  unto  Nineveh,  that  great  city,  and  preach  unto  it  the 
preaching  that  I  bid  thge. '  And  by  contribution  and  sub- 
scription, a  considerable  sum  was  collected  for  the  use  of 
the  mission." 

September  28th,  immediately  after  this  meeting.  Rev. 
Isaac  Case  began  another  missionary  tour  to  the  eastward. 
October  10th,  he  was  at  Steuben  (Cherryfield),  October 
17th,  at  Addison  (where  there  were  converts  and  thirty- 
four  were  added  to  the  church),  afterward  at  Sullivan 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  121 

(where  "several  were  melted  into  tears  under  the  word"), 
Eden,  Sedgwick,  Castine,  Long  Island  and  Northport.  He 
was  absent  thirty-nine  days,  preached  forty-eight  times 
and  baptized  fifty-five  converts.^ 

December  16,  1805,  Mr.  Case  set  out  again  for  the 
eastward,  visiting  Belfast,  where  he  preached.  Passing 
through  Bluehill,  where  also  he  preached,  he  visited  Sul- 
livan, Gouldsborough,  Steuben,  Columbia,  Addison  and 
other  places.  Jan.  16,  1806,  he  baptized  nine  candidates. 
"What  rendered  the  service  more  solemn  than  usual,"  he 
said,  "a  place  was  cut  in  the  ice  which  resembles  a  grave. 
The  air  was  very  cold,  but  the  presence  of  the  Lord 
made  the  season  delightful."  At  Addison  he  baptized  six. 
"One  thing  may  be  remarked,"  Mr.  Case  added  in  his 
journal,  "the  tide  had  ebbed  about  six  inches,  had  it  con- 
tinued ebbing  it  would  not  have  been  so  convenient ;  but 
as  the  Lord  would  have  it,  there  came  in  an  undertow  (as 
they  call  it),  and  the  water  was  higher  than  before,  so 
that  the  ordinance  was  attended  with  convenience.  .  .  . 
I  think  I  was  never  in  any  place  where  Christians  were 
more  engaged  in  religion  and  where  people  took  more 
pains  to  attend  upon  the  word.  Some  came  as  much  as 
twenty  miles." 

While  on  this  journey  Mr.  Case  assisted  in  organizing 
the  Baptist  church  at  Bluehill.  In  his  journal  he  says : 
"After  spending  some  time  in  fasting  and  prayer  for 
directions,  we  formed  into  a  council,  and  after  consulting 
together  what  methods  to  take  and  giving  much  instruc- 
tion to  the  brethren,  thirteen  males  and  six  females  cove- 
nanted together  and  received  the  right  hand  of  fellowship 
as  a  church  of  Christ.  In  the  evening  I  addressed  them 
from  Psalms  27  : 4.     Harmony  attended  the  whole. ' ' 

At  the  meeting  of  the  trustees  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Mis- 
sionary Society,  held  at  North  Livermore  Jan.  13,  1806, 
Rev.  John  Tripp,  Rev.  Robert  Low,  and  Rev.  Sylvanus 
Boardman  were  made  a  committee  on  printing,  and  it  was 
voted  that  the  committee  collect  and  cause  to  be  printed 

'  Massachusetts  Baptist  Missionary  Masrazine,  Vol.  1,  pp.  226-228. 


122  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

such  religious  tracts  as  they  deem  will  aid  the  cause  of 
religion,  provided  the  expense  does  not  exceed  $34.00. 
This  action  had  reference  to  the  publication  of  a  religious 
magazine  similar  to  that  published  by  the  Massachusetts 
Baptist  Missionary  Society. 

In  July,  1806,  Mr.  Case  set  out  on  a  missionary  tour 
to  the  eastward,  taking  with  him  Henry  Hale.  They 
reached  Machias  July  11th  and  preached.  Then  they  con- 
tinued their  journey  to  Eastport,  where  there  was  a  Bap- 
tist church  of  seventy  members  in  a  low  condition.  After 
spending  ten  days  at  Eastport,  they  received  an  earnest 
invitation  to  visit  the  provinces.  Answering  the  call  they 
passed  over  into  New  Brunswick.  Mr.  Case  baptized 
twenty-one  converts,  and  organized  a  church.  Returning 
they  visited  Eastport,  Machias,  Addison,  Columbia,  Narra- 
guagus  (Cherry field),  Surry,  Bluehill,  Orleans,  Belfast  and 
Northport,  and  Mr.  Case  reached  home  September  5th. 
He  had  baptized  seventy,  organized  three  churches,  and 
administered  the  Lord's  Supper  to  six  destitute  churches. 
"Some  days,"  he  says,  "I  did  not  preach,  but  in  general 
I  preached  once  or  twice,  and  when  occasion  called  three 
times.  The  people  were  generally  very  attentive,  and 
would  take  great  pains  to  attend  upon  preaching.  Some 
would  come  as  far  as  twenty  miles  on  horses,  and  some 
women  would  walk  seven  or  eight  miles  to  hear  the  word. 
They  are  truly  destitute  of  preaching.  For  two  hundred 
miles  in  length  on  these  eastern  shores  there  are  but  three 
ministers  of  any  denomination,  and  there  are  now  ten 
destitute  Baptist  churches.  My  poor  heart  yearns  toward 
them  when  I  think  of  them,  and  think  of  their  language 
to  me  :  'Do  not  forget  us  ;  do  come  again,  and  if  you  can- 
not come,  you  must  try  and  send  some  minister  to  preach 
to  us.'" 

At  the  Bowdoinham  Association  in  1806,  Rev.  P.  Pils- 
bury  preached  the  missionary  sermon  from  Rom.  10 :  15, 
"And  how  shall  they  preach  except  they  be  sent."  By 
contribution  and  subscription  a  considerable  sum  was  col- 
lected for  the  mission. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  123 

November  4,  1806,  with  Elder  Robert  Low,  Mr.  Case  set 
out  on  another  missionary  tour,  which  extended  across  the 
border.  They  went  as  far  as  St.  Andrews.  Returning, 
and  preaching  in  almost  every  place  through  which  he 
passed,  Mr.  Case  reached  home  Feb.  27,  1807.  In  his 
report  he  notes  the  baptism  of  forty-four  on  this  tour, 
and  says  that  since  his  previous  missionary  journey  he 
had  baptized  two  hundred  and  five,  and  had  assisted  in 
organizing  six  Baptist  churches,  three  of  them  in  New 
Brunswick  and  the  others  in  Maine  east  of  the  Penobscot 
river.  Of  this  journey  Mr.  Low  wrote  :  "There  is  but  one 
ordained  minister  between  Bluehill  and  the  Province  of 
New  Brunswick,  within  the  British  government,  which  is 
about  one  hundred  and  thirty  miles.  To  hear  their  cry 
for  preaching,  and  to  see  them  flock  together  by  night  and 
by  day,  when  gospel  ministers  visit  them,  is  both  pleasing 
and  affecting.  The  longer  I  tarried  in  a  place,  the  more 
zealous  they  were,  and  with  greater  reluctance  we  parted. 
.  .  .  I  have  ridden  upwards  of  six  hundred  miles  in 
ten  weeks  and  preached  upwards  of  sixty  sermons,  and 
attended  a  number  of  conference  meetings." 

January  7,  1807,  the  trustees  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Mis- 
sionary Society  met  at  Livermore.  In  the  record  of  this 
meeting  we  have  this  statement  concerning  the  treasury : 
"Cash  on  hand,  $199.65;  In  books,  Mr.  Merrill's  works, 
$2.00;  total,  $201.65;  For  printing  the  Register,  No.  1, 
and  expenses  attending  it,  $30.00  ;  total,  $171.65."  By  the 
"Register,  No.  1,"  is  meant  The  Maine  Baptist  Missionary 
Register,  the  first  number  of  which,  known  as  Vol.  1,  was 
published  in  August,  1806.  The  title  page  reads  as  fol- 
lows :  '  'The  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Register,  Vol.  I, 
August,  1806.  Published  for  the  benefit  of  the  Society. 
'His  name  was  spread  abroad,'  Mark.  Augusta  (Ken- 
nebec). Printed  by  Peter  Edes,  1806."  The  first  arti- 
cle in  this  number  is  entitled  "A  Brief  Account  of  the 
Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Society,  with  Motives  to  Perse- 
verance."  This  article  is  followed  by  missionary  intel- 
ligence, in  which  there  is  mention  of  the  labors  of  Rev. 


124  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

Isaac  Case,  and  extracts  from  letters  written  by  J.  T. 
(John  Tripp) ,  Sylvanus  Boardman,  Phinehas  Pilsbury,  and 
others;  also  "a  letter  from  the  Rev.  Mr.  Francis,  giv- 
ing a  sketch  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Leeds,  dated  May 
1,  1806." 

It  was  voted  at  this  meeting  to  print  a  second  number  of 
the  Register  "to  be  out  the  middle  of  August  next,"  to 
contain  thirty-two  pages,  "with  blue  cover  and  the  con- 
tents printed  on  the  outside."  Messrs.  Boardman  and 
Tripp  were  appointed  to  superintend  the  printing  of  the 
Register.  At  a  later  meeting  it  was  voted  to  print  six 
hundred  copies.  This  second  number  of  the  Register,  No. 
2  of  Vol.  I,  appeared  in  August,  1808.^  With  this  number 
the  publication  ceased.  Evidently  the  expense  did  not 
warrant  further  outlay. 

On  the  31st  of  May,  1807,  Mr.  Case  again  entered  upon 
mission  work.  June  6th  he  visited  Monmouth  and  then 
turned  his  feet  toward  the  new  settlements  beyond  the 
Penobscot.  In  his  journal  he  says:  "Being  hindered  by 
the  rain,  I  stopped  and  preached  three  times  in  Vas- 
salborough.  Then  went  to  Northport,  where  I  preached 
once.  Here  I  fell  in  company  with  Brother  William  Allen, 
a  young  licensed  preacher,  who  concluded  to  travel  with 
me.  We  arrived  at  a  place  called  Stetsontown  on  Friday 
evening,  June  13th.  This  place  was  a  waste,  howling  wil- 
derness until  about  five  years  ago,  when  four  or  five  fami- 
lies moved  into  it.  The  most  of  them  were  professors,  but 
they  were  in  a  very  low  state  of  mind  as  to  the  exercise 
of  religion,  until  about  a  year  ago,  when  I  visited  them, 
preached  to  them  several  times,  and  baptized  four  per- 
sons. From  that  time  to  the  present  they  have  kept  up 
the  worship  of  God  among  themselves,  and  have  been 
much  engaged  in  the  cause  of  Christ.  Of  late  God  has 
poured  out  his  Spirit  and  converted  a  number  more." 
The  result  was  that  a  church  was  organized  June  16th. 
"This,"   says  Mr.   Case,    "is  the  first   church   gathered 

'  On  the  first  page  is  the  following :  "The  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Register,  Vol.  I, 
August,  1808,  No.  2.  Published  for  the  benefit  of  the  Society.  Contents.  Portland. 
Printed  by  Arthur  Shirley,  for  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Society,  1808." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  125 

in  this  part  of  the  wilderness. "  Continuing  his  journey, 
Mr.  Case  preached  at  Bluehill,  Deer  Isle,  Fox  Island  and 
Castine.  Then  he  went  into  New  Brunswick,  where  he 
labored  at  St.  Andrews  and  other  places.  On  his  return 
he  preached  at  Eastport. 

Rev.  Henry  Hale,  in  the  service  of  the  Massachusetts 
Society,  entered  upon  a  mission  June  1,  1807,  preaching  in 
Machias,  Chandlerville  (Detroit),  Addison  (where  he  was 
joined  by  Elder  Haynes),  Little  River,  Buck's  Harbor, 
and  returned  to  Sedgwick  September  11th.  The  time  was 
spent  in  preaching,  visiting  from  house  to  house  and  bap- 
tizing. ^ 

Rev.  Henry  Kendall  set  out  on  a  mission  in  the  service 
of  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Society  Aug.  26,  1807. 
He  visited  Canaan,  Cornville,  Athens,  and  then  through 
twelve  miles  of  woods  to  the  upper  settlements  on  the  Pis- 
cataquis river,  where  there  were  thirteen  families.  On 
this  tour,  which  lasted  three  weeks,  Mr.  Kendall  rode 
about  two  hundred  and  seventy  miles,  preached  thirty- 
four  times,  attended  three  other  meetings  and  baptized 
two  persons.  Subsequently  he  spent  three  added  weeks 
in  the  back  settlements  and  "baptized  a  number."  "It 
is  three  years  next  June  since  I  received  ordination,  and 
by  the  good  hand  of  God  helping  me,  I  have  baptized  one 
hundred  and  sixty-four  persons." 

The  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Society  held  its  annual 
meeting  Sept.  23,  1807,  at  Brunswick,  in  connection  with 
the  Bowdoinham  Association.  Rev.  Thomas  Green  of 
Yarmouth  preached  the  introductory  sermon  from  Zech. 
9 :  9-11.     The  collection  for  mission  amounted  to  $137.00. 

In  the  early  autumn  Mr.  Case  visited  some  of  the 
destitute  churches  on  the  Sandy  and  Kennebec  rivers. 
October  30th,  he  again  directed  his  steps  to  the  eastward, 
intending  to  visit  Nova  Scotia.  On  the  way  he  preached 
at  Nobleborough,  where  a  religious  interest  had  been 
awakened  in  connection  with  "the  preaching  of  Brother 
Pilsbury. "    He  preached  also  at  Islesborough,  Northport 

'  Massachusetts  Baptist  Missionary  Magazine,  Vol.  1,  pp.  359-362. 


126  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

and  Addison.  At  the  last  place  he  wrote  his  report, 
November  19th,  adding,  "next  week,  by  the  will  of  the 
Lord,  I  am  to  go  to  Machias,  and  assist  Brother  Hale  in 
constituting  a  church  in  that  place."  Unfortunately  the 
journal  of  this  tour  closes  here,  and  there  is  no  record  of 
the  organization  of  the  church,  if  it  was  effected  at  that 
time.^ 

December  4,  1807,  Mr.  Case,  with  Rev.  Henry  Hale,  left 
Eastport  for  a  missionary  tour  in  the  British  Provinces, 
returning  to  his  home  in  Readfield  April  18th.  Rev.  David 
Ricker,  also  in  the  service  of  the  Missionary  Society,  vis- 
ited the  towns  in  the  upper  part  of  New  Hamsphire  and 
Vermont,  leaving  his  home  Jan.  11,  1808.  He  was  absent 
twenty-six  days  and  preached  twenty-five  times. 

January  1,  1808,  was  observed  by  the  churches  of  Bow- 
doinham  and  Lincoln  Associations  as  a  day  of  fasting, 
humiliation  and  prayer  for  an  increase  of  ministers,  for 
revivals  in  the  churches,  for  greater  liberality  on  the  part 
of  the  church  members,  for  deliverance  from  doctrinal 
errors  and  for  increased  consecration.  '  'The  solemn  day 
was  hardly  past,"  wrote  Rev.  Daniel  Merrill,  "ere  the 
decree  manifestly  went  forth  to  begin  the  accomplishment 
of  the  things  which  we  desired." 

In  the  Baptist  Missionary  Magazine,  Jan.  1,  1808,  is  a 
very  interesting  chapter  of  extracts  from  Elder  Phinehas 
Pilsbury's  journal,  kept  during  a  mission  of  six  months 
in  Vermont,  upper  Canada  and  New  York.  It  closes 
with  this  paragraph:  "On  this  mission  I  have  spent  six 
months,  rode  eleven  hundred  and  twenty-seven  miles, 
preached  one  hundred  and  fifty-five  times,  baptized  four 
persons,  and  attended  to  other  missionary  labors.     I  have 

^  Millet,  p.  341,  Bays :  "The  people  were  generally  Congregational,  and  favored  with  a 
stated  ministry.  Baptists,  by  their  occasional  efforts,  obtained  but  limited  influence 
among  them  for  many  years.  In  1797,  Mr.  Murphy  labored  among  them.  Elder  Case 
says,  'Several  persons  were  regenerated  into  gospel  faith,'  and  'from  that  time  till  1810, 
Baptist  ministers  visited  these  brethren  occasionally,  and  preached  Christ  to  them  and 
to  the  people.'  While  on  a  mission.  Elder  Case  made  them  a  visit  in  1810.  Here  he  met 
Rev.  Mr.  Manning  from  Nova  Scotia,  who  aided  him  in  constituting  the  Baptists  in 
Machias,  who  desired  the  privilege,  into  a  gospel  church.  Their  number  was  eleven 
only." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  127 

enjoyed  good  health,  for  which  I  ought  to  be  thankful.  I 
received  eleven  dollars,  forty-two  cents,  and  expended 
eight  dollars,  eleven  cents." 

Rev.  Thomas  Macomber  left  his  home  in  Sumner  on  a 
missionary  tour  Jan.  5,  1808.  During  most  of  the  time  he 
had  as  a  companion  Rev.  Nehemiah  Gould.  They  visited 
among  other  places  Bangor  and  appointed  a  meeting  there. 
Mr.  Macomber  and  Mr.  Gould  were  entertained  at  the 
"house  of  a  Baptist  brother  by  the  name  of  Thomas  Brad- 
bury" but  Mr.  Macomber  "saw  but  very  little  appearance 
of  religion  in  the  place.  Mr.  Sawyer,  a  Congregational 
preacher,  attended  the  meeting  [held  by  Mr.  Macomber] , 
and  professed  satisfaction  in  what  he  heard  while  we  were 
in  Bangor."^  Other  places  visited  were  Orrington,  Blais- 
deltown  (Exeter),  Lincoln,  Charleston,  Number  Five 
(Cambridge),  and  Number  Four  (Sangerville).  At  the 
latter  place  four  men  and  six  women  were  baptized.  "I 
enjoyed  a  comfortable  state  of  mind  in  speaking  at  the 
water  and  in  administering  the  ordinance,"  wrote  Mr. 
Macomber,  and  the  candidates  seemed  "not  to  be  in  the 
least  daunted  at  the  coldness  of  the  weather."  The 
organization  of  a  church  of  twelve  members  follovv'ed, 
which  was  increased  to  sixteen  before  the  missionaries 
left.  One  of  the  members  of  the  new  church,  William 
Oaks,  was  licensed  to  preach,  and  was  ordained  at  Canaan 
in  1815.  From  this  place  Mr.  Macomber  made  his  way 
through  "a  disagreeable  wood  of  nearly  twelve  miles  dis- 
tance, and  the  snow  more  than  knee  deep,  to  Number 
Five,  now  Cambridge.  Here  he  was  made  welcome  at 
the  house  of  Jacob  Hale.  Mrs.  Hale  had  not  heard  a  ser- 
mon for  six  years,  and  to  the  household  and  two  neighbors 
Mr.  Macomber  preached  from  2  Cor.  5 :  17.'  On  his  way 
home  Mr.  Macomber  preached  in  Harmony,  Cornville, 
Canaan,  baptizing  two  in  the  latter  place.  During  this 
missionary  tour  he  preached  thirty-four  times,  baptized 

'  Manuscript  Journal  by  Mr.  Macomber. 

'  A  few  years  later  Rev.  Henry  Kendal!  visited  the  place  and  baptized  Mr.  Hale  and  his 
wife.    His  account  of  the  baptism  is  given  in  his  Autobioj?raphy,  p.  70. 


128  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

fifteen,  organized  a  church,  attended  a  conference  and 
administered  the  Lord's  Supper.  He  was  kindly  received 
in  every  place  and  had  several  requests  for  visits,  with 
which  he  could  not  comply.^ 

In  the  service  of  the  Missionary  Society,  Rev.  Sylvanus 
Boardman  left  his  home  Jan.  24,  1808,  and  visited  Bel- 
grade, Clinton,  Canaan,  Fairfield,  Norridgewock,  Anson, 
Carratunk,  East  Portland,  New  Vineyard  and  Farming- 
ton.  On  the  last  day  in  June  he  again  visited  Fairfield, 
where  he  had  the  pleasure  of  baptizing  converts. 

Rev.  Joseph  Adams,  also  in  the  service  of  the  Mission- 
ary Society,  entering  upon  the  work  Feb.  29,  1808,  visited 
Belgrade,  Fairfield,  Canaan,  Athens  (where  his  spirit  was 
stirred  within  him  as  was  that  of  Paul  in  ancient  Athens) , 
Harmony,  Number  Five,  Amestown  (Sangerville) ,  Num- 
ber Two,  Stetsontown,  Palmyra  (where  the  lion  roared 
but  the  lambs  rejoiced),  Norridgewock  and  Mercer.  He 
was  absent  from  his  home  thirty-one  days  and  preached 
twenty-nine  times. 

May  18,  1808,  Rev.  Isaac  Case,  writing  to  Dr.  Baldwin, 
said  :  "I  expect,  God  willing,  to  set  out  to-morrow  on  my 
old  delightful  work  of  sounding  the  Redeemer's  name  to 
dying  men."  God  was  willing.  As  his  journal  shows, 
Mr.  Case  went  first  to  Jefferson,  where  a  revival  had  been 
in  progress  since  March,  and  the  work  had  extended  to  the 
upper  part  of  Newcastle.  There  were  few  families  that 
had  not  shared  in  its  blessings  to  a  greater  or  less  degree. 
After  preaching  and  baptizing,  Mr.  Case  proceeded  to 
Thomaston,  where  also  he  preached  and  baptized.  May 
31st,  he  went  to  St.  George,  where  an  extensive  work  of 
grace  was  in  progress.  Returning  to  Jefferson  June  1st, 
he  preached  in  the  upper  part  of  the  town.  "At  the  head 
of  Damariscotta  Pond,"  he  writes,  "they  are  building  a 
convenient  meeting-house  which  is  to  be  finished  this  sea- 
son. At  present  they  have  Brother  William  Allen  preach- 
ing to  them,  and  the  probability  is  that  he  will  settle 
among  them.     They  expect  soon  to  organize  a  church, 

^  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Reg-ister,  August,  1808,  pp.  27,  28. 


HISTORY  OP  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  129 

and  for  this  purpose  I  have  appointed  a  time  to  visit 
them  again."  June  16th,  people  from  ten  or  eleven  towns 
assembled  at  the  head  of  the  pond.  Elder  Case  preached 
from  Ps.  Q6 :  16.  He  then  baptized  twelve  candidates. 
In  his  journal  he  says:  "We  returned  to  the  meeting- 
house where  the  articles  of  faith  and  covenant  were  read 
and  agreed  to  by  the  candidates,  who  likewise  manifested 
a  union  and  Christian  fellowship  with  each  other.  These, 
with  a  number  more  who  had  been  dismissed  from  Balls- 
town  [Whitefield]  church  for  this  purpose,  were  embodied 
into  a  church,  and  received  the  right  hand  of  fellowship. 
The  ministers  present  on  this  occasion  were  Elders  Bag- 
ley,  Lewis,  Pilsbury  and  myself."  On  Sunday  follow- 
ing, he  baptized  seven  more,  who  were  received  into  the 
church,  and  all  these  joined  in  celebrating  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per. June  22d,  Mr.  Case  went  to  the  western  part  of 
Jefferson,  called  the  Ridge,  where  he  baptized  five.  Here 
a  church  was  organized  June  25th.  "The  next  day,"  he 
writes,  "after  preaching  to  a  thronged  assembly,  I  bap- 
tized a  woman  of  about  seventy  years  of  age.  We  then 
returned  to  our  place  of  worship,  which  was  a  barn, 
and  after  attempting  to  preach  again,  I  administered  the 
Lord's  Supper  to  this  infant  church,  which  consists  of 
eighteen  members. ' ' 

September  25th,  Mr.  Case  resumed  his  missionary 
labors.  First  he  went  to  Monmouth.  The  following  week 
he  attended  the  Bowdoinham  Association  at  Fayette.  "It 
was  truly  astonishing,"  he  writes  in  his  journal,  "to  see 
the  multitudes  of  Christians  and  others  that  met  on  this 
occasion.  Twenty-one  years  ago  last  May,  when  the  asso- 
ciation was  formed,  it  consisted  of  three  churches  only. 
One  room  in  a  dwelling  house  would  then  contain  the 
assembly,  but  now  the  largest  building  in  the  county 
will  not  hold  the  people."  The  missionary  sermon  was 
preached  this  year  by  Rev.  John  Tripp  from  John  4 :  35, 
and  a  considerable  sum  was  collected  for  the  use  of  the 
mission." 

From  the  association  Mr.  Case  went  to  Jefferson,  and 

10 


130  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

preached  to  the  two  infant  churches  in  that  town.  One 
of  them  had  received  fifty  members  since  he  was  there  in 
the  previous  summer,  and  now  had  seventy-five  members  ; 
the  other  had  thirty-nine  members.  He  also  preached  in 
Newcastle  and  Old  Sheepscot.  Then  he  visited  Fairfield, 
Canaan,  Cornville  and  Harmony.  A  church  had  been 
organized  in  Harmony  a  few  years  before,  but  it  did  not 
flourish.  A  new  interest  had  been  awakened  in  con- 
nection with  the  labors  of  Benjamin  Eames,  a  licensed 
preacher.  Mr.  Case  attended  a  conference  and  it  was 
resolved  to  organize  a  new  church.  This  was  done,  and 
several  persons  were  baptized.  Subsequently  Mr.  Case 
visited  New  Vineyard  and  Industry  and  later  Camden. 
Writing  March  31,  1809,  he  says:  "I  expect  to  set  out 
to-morrow  to  visit  several  destitute  places  between  this 
and  the  Penobscot  river." 

The  Missionary  Society  met  at  Leeds  Sept.  28,  1809,  in 
connection  with  the  Bowdoinham  Association.  The  trus- 
tees elected  were  Robert  Low,  Sylvanus  Boardman,  John 
Tripp,  Nathaniel  Chase,  Thomas  Wyman,  Thomas  Fran- 
cis, Thomas  Macomber,  and  Ransom  Norton.  There  is 
no  mention  of  officers  except  the  statement  that  "Elder 
Boardman  was  then  chosen  treasurer."  At  a  meeting  of 
the  trustees  November  1st,  Mr.  Boardman  v/as  elected 
chairman  and  Mr.  Tripp,  secretary.  The  following  action 
was  taken  at  this  meeting:  "Considering  the  great  scar- 
city of  money,  voted  to  give  our  missionaries  four  dollars  a 
week  for  the  present  year.  Voted  that  Brother  Tripp  be 
requested  to  take  a  tour  of  four  weeks  to  Upper  Coos 
and  towards  Canada.  Voted  that  Brother  Boardman  be 
requested  to  visit  Piscataquis  for  five  weeks.  Voted  to 
request  Brother  Wyman  to  go  up  Sandy  river  for  three 
weeks.  Voted  to  request  Brother  Henry  Kendall  to  go  up 
Kennebec  for  three  weeks."  At  the  meeting  at  Leeds 
Rev.  Henry  Kendall  preached  a  sermon  from  Luke  7 :  22, 
and  there  was  a  collection  as  usual.  The  members  of  the 
society  were  requested  in  the  Minutes  to  meet  at  the  Bap- 
tist meeting-house  in  Readfield  on  the  third  Wednesday  in 


FIRST   CHURCH,    BANGOR. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  131 

January,  1810,  to  consider  the  propriety  of  changing  the 
time  of  the  annual  meeting.  As  the  meetings  of  the 
society  continued  to  be  held  in  connection  with  the  Bow- 
doinham  Association,  it  is  evident  that  the  proposal  of  a 
change  was  not  received  with  favor. 

During  this  year  Mr.  Case  spent  a  few  weeks  in  the 
most  destitute  places  in  the  State  of  Rhode  Island.  On 
his  return  he  preached  in  Portland  for  Pastor  Converse, 
who  tarried  and  preached  at  Saco  Falls,  where,  writes  Mr. 
Case,  "there  is  a  special  attention  to  religion.  I  have 
since  been  informed  that  his  labors  have  been  blest  to  a 
number  of  precious  souls.  God  is  also  magnifying  his 
grace  in  Portland." 

After  returning  to  his  home  in  Readfield,  Mr.  Case  vis- 
ited a  number  of  destitute  churches  in  Kennebec  County, 
also  the  churches  in  Farmington  and  at  Webb's  Pond 
(Weld).  In  December  he  proceeded  eastward  as  far  as 
the  Penobscot,  preaching  in  Augusta,  Vassalborough,  Fair- 
fax (Albion) ,  Unity,  Knox,  Montville,  Goose  Pond,  Frank- 
fort, Hampden  and  Bangor.  "In  Bangor,"  he  writes, 
"there  is  a  Pedobaptist  church,  but  no  settled  minister. 
There  are  also  a  few  Baptist  brethren  in  this  town,  who 
have  had  Dr.  Bumham  preaching  with  them  part  of  the 
time  the  summer  past. "  Returning,  he  attended  a  quar- 
terly meeting  in  Frankfort.  "Religion  is  evidently  gain- 
ing ground  in  this  wilderness,"  he  writes.  "It  was  with 
a  degree  of  reluctance  that  I  left  these  infant  settle- 
ments." 

But  he  was  soon  again  engaged  in  missionary  labor. 
Jan.  27,  1810,  he  left  his  home  and  visited  Livermore, 
Hartford,  Industry,  New  Vineyard  and  Farmington.  In 
several  of  these  places  there  had  been  interesting  revivals 
and  the  missionary  found  a  most  cordial  welcome.  March 
4th,  he  turned  his  face  toward  the  scattered  settlements 
between  the  Kennebec  and  the  Penobscot  rivers,  preach- 
ing in  Fairfield,  Clinton,  Cornville,  and  Harmony.     Then 

'Rev.  Josiah  Converse  was  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  church,  Portland,  from  June  1, 
1807.  to  April  30.  1810. 


132  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

he  turned  northward  to  the  towns  on  the  Piscataquis 
river,  in  eleven  of  which  he  preached.  '  It  is  but  a  short 
time  since  the  people  began  to  settle  in  these  parts,"  he 
writes,  **and  they  are  still  very  scattered,  and  in  general 
destitute  of  any  kind  of  preaching."  In  Charleston  he 
organized  a  church  April  10th.  Subsequently  he  visited 
Gardiner,  Litchfield,  St.  George,  and  other  places.  Octo- 
ber 1st,  he  set  out  on  a  missionary  tour  into  the  British 
Provinces.  At  Eastport  he  aided  Rev.  Daniel  Merrill  in 
reorganizing  the  church  *  'which  had  been  in  a  scattered, 
broken  and  dismal  state  for  several  years. ' '  On  this  tour 
he  was  absent  four  months.  Later  in  the  year,  he  visited 
Sedgwick,  Castine,  Bluehill,  Penobscot  and  Prospect.  Of 
his  visit  to  Bluehill  he  writes :  '  'There  has  been  a  regular 
Baptist  church  in  this  town  more  than  four  years,  and 
they  have  had  an  elder  ordained  over  them  about  one  year 
and  a  half ;  they  are,  however,  still  taxed  to  the  Pedobap- 
tist  minister.  Elder  Roundy,  the  pastor  of  this  church, 
had  one  of  his  cows  taken  by  the  collector  for  his  minis- 
terial tax  while  I  was  in  the  place. ' '  In  his  account  of  his 
labors  during  this  tour,  Mr.  Case  says  that  on  this  mis- 
sion of  twenty  weeks  he  "received  thirty-eight  dollars, 
twenty-two  cents ;  expended  three  dollars,  seventy-four 
cents." 

That  his  labors  were  highly  appreciated  by  his  breth- 
ren we  know  from  contemporary  testimony.  Rev.  David 
Benedict  visited  the  District  of  Maine  in  1810.  August 
10th,  writing  to  the  editor  of  the  Massachusetts  Bap- 
tist Missionary  Magazine  from  Sedgwick,  where  he  was 
spending  a  few  days  with  Rev.  Daniel  Merrill,  he  said : 
"I  have  been  much  pleased  and  highly  gratified  to  hear 
so  many  testimonies  of  the  extensive  usefulness  of  our 
laborious  Brother  Case,  who  has  for  some  time  received 
the  deserved  patronage  of  the  Missionary  Society." 


CHAPTER  IX. 


Better  Days. 

Better  days  had  now  come  to  the  older  Baptist  churches 
in  the  District  of  Maine.  The  missionary  operations,  so 
wisely  planned  and  earnestly  promoted,  had  not  in  the 
least  weakened  the  forces  on  the  home  fields.  Again  was 
it  found  to  be  true  that  there  is  that  scattereth  and  yet 
increaseth. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  New  Hampshire  Association,  held 
at  Parsonsfield  June  10  and  11,  1801,  there  was  an  esti- 
mated attendance  of  two  thousand  people.  But  there  was 
not  merely  a  large  assembly,  "Great  sobriety  and  good 
order"  were  manifested,  and  "there  was  a  remarkable 
solemnity  and  engagedness  in  prayer  and  exhortation  in 
all  the  intervals  in  the  association."  The  representatives 
from  the  churches  were  full  of  gratitude  in  view  of  past 
blessings,  and  full  of  hope  with  reference  to  the  enlarge- 
ment of  Christ's  visible  kingdom. 

These  hopes  were  abundantly  realized.  The  following 
new  churches  were  added  to  the  association  in  the  opening 
decade  of  the  new  century :  Buxton  in  1800 ;  Limington 
in  1802;  2d  Wells  in  1803;  Arundel  (Kennebunkport)  in 
1804 ;  2d  Waterboro  and  2d  Shapleigh  in  1806 ;  Phillips- 
burg  (Hollis)  and  Newfield  in  1807  and  3d  Berwick  in 
1808.  Great  carefulness  with  reference  to  the  reception 
of  churches  into  the  association  was  exercised  at  this  time. 
In  1802  "a.  letter  from  the  Andover  and  Salisbury  church" 
requested  admission  to  the  New  Hampshire  Association, 
but  the  association  postponed  action  one  year  "by  reason 
of  some  things  being  not  fully  expressed  in  their  articles 
of  faith,"  and  the  applicants  were  requested  to  "make 
some  amendments  or  adopt  new  articles."    What  these 


134  HISTORY    OF    THE    BAPTISTS    IN    MAINE. 

"some  things"  were  in  which  the  articles  of  faith  pre- 
sented were  deficient  we  are  not  told.  It  is  a  significant 
fact,  however,  that  the  Minutes  of  the  association  con- 
tain no  further  reference  to  the  "Andover  and  Salisbury- 
church." 

These  were  the  days  in  which  Universalism  was  strenu- 
ously advocated.  In  1781,  Elhanan  Winchester,  who  had 
been  a  prominent  Baptist  minister  in  Philadelphia,  became 
a  Universalist,  and  organized  in  that  city  a  Universal- 
ist  society,  which  took  the  name  "Universal  Baptists." 
In  New  Jersey  several  Baptist  ministers  became  Univer- 
salists,  and  their  churches  Universalist  churches.  Rev. 
Hosea  Ballou,  who  was  so  prominent  as  a  Universalist 
preacher,  was  originally  a  Baptist,  and  a  member  of  the 
church  of  which  his  father  was  pastor.  In  activity  the 
Universalists  of  this  time  were  not  lacking,  and  that  activ- 
ity extended  to  the  District  of  Maine.  Among  the  ques- 
tions submitted  by  the  churches  to  the  New  Hampshire 
Association  at  the  meeting  in  Sanford  in  1803  was  the  fol- 
lowing: "Whether  it  is  agreeable  to  the  laws  of  Christ's 
church  to  excommunicate  those  who  have  and  still  do 
embrace  the  universal  salvation  of  all  men,  and  openly 
declare  it?"  The  association  made  this  response:  "We, 
as  an  association,  do  not  think  it  our  duty  to  interfere  with 
the  discipline  of  churches,  but  as  our  opinion  is  asked  we 
give  it  in  the  affirmative."  The  independence  of  the  local 
church  was  something  for  which  the  Baptists  of  that  day, 
as  now,  stood  first,  last  and  always,  and  in  this  deliver- 
ance the  members  of  the  association  evidently  felt  that 
they  were  taking  a  position  which  might  be  regarded  as  a 
violation  of  a  well-known  Baptist  principle.  But  the  occa- 
sion doubtless  seemed  to  require  a  clear,  definite  expres- 
sion, and  the  association  did  not  hesitate  to  give  it,  though 
the  principle  of  church  independence  was  fully  recognized. 

One  of  the  strong,  active  workers  for  the  cause  of  Christ 
in  York  County  at  this  time  was  Rev.  William  Batchelder,^ 

^  Mr.  Batchelder  preached  the  sermon  at  the  ordination  of  Abner  Flanders  at  Buxton 
in  1802.    The  sermon  was  published  by  request  at  Portsmouth,  N.  H..  in  1803,  and  in  1888, 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  135 

who  was  pastor  at  Berwick  Great  Hill  (North  Berwick) 
from  1796  to  1805.  There  is  a  letter  written  by  him  at 
York,  Feb.  7,  1805,  to  Rev.  John  Peak,  which  gives  us  a 
vivid  description  of  one  of  his  evangelistic  experiences  at 
this  time : 

'  'The  Lord,  whose  arrangements  unfailingly  accomplish 
his  intentions,  had  prepared  many  of  the  people  of  York 
by  sending  them  to  Berwick,  about  four  years  before  in 
the  time  of  our  reformation.  At  length  I  had  an  invita- 
tion to  preach  here  at  the  house  of  one  of  the  selectmen. 
So  many  people  were  present  that  we  were  obliged  to 
meet  in  an  orchard.  I  spoke  from  the  words,  'One  thing 
is  needful.  *  The  people  gazed  ;  for  it  was  to  them  a  new 
way  of  talking  about  religion,  and  many  of  the  youth  had 
never  heard  a  sermon  before.  I  have  since  baptized  about 
thirty,  who  date  to  that  season  as  the  time  of  their  awak- 
ening. The  work  has  spread  remarkably.  At  one  time 
when  met  for  baptism,  it  was  judged  there  were  twelve  or 
fourteen  hundred  persons  present.  Many  were  solemn, 
some  were  wounded  and  some  mocked.  ...  On  Fri- 
day I  baptized  seven.  On  Saturday,  we  met  in  Wells  in  a 
beautiful  orchard  near  the  sea.  About  seven  hundred 
people  were  present.  After  the  exercises,  several  related 
God's  dealing  with  them,  and  presented  themselves  for 
baptism.  By  this  time  the  sun  was  near  the  horizon,  and 
it  seemed  as  though  there  was  the  Shekinah  indeed.  Joy 
lighted  up  every  saint,  mourners  wept,  and  spectators 
beheld  with  astonishment.  About  eight  o'clock  we  moved 
from  the  spot,  lighted  by  lanterns  and  torches  ;  there  were 

Hon.  Mark  P.  Emery,  of  Portland,  but  a  native  of  Buxton  Center,  and  a  warm-hearted 
supporter  of  the  Baptist  church  at  Buxton  Center,  reprinted  the  sermon  in  loving  recoif. 
nition  of  Mr.  Batchelder's  service  at  Buxton.  Mr.  Batchelder  left  Berwick  in  1805  to 
become  the  successor  of  Rev.  Hezekiah  Smith  at  Haverhill,  Mass.  "The  last  public 
enterprise  undertaken  by  Elder  Batchelder  was  the  endowment  of  Waterville  Academy, 
now  Colby  University.  His  great  popularity  as  a  preacher  in  Maine  drew  great  crowds 
to  hear  him  wherever  he  went  in  his  chaise  :  and  it  was  exposure  in  this  collecting  tour 
in  the  winter  of  1817  that  undermined  his  frail  constitution."  History  of  the  First  Bap- 
tist Church  and  Sunday  School  of  Haverhill,  Mass.,  Historical  Discourse  delivered  May 
9,  1890,  on  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fifth  Anniversary  of  the  Church,  by  Rev.  W. 
W.  Everts,  Jr.,  pp.  36-38.  Mr.  Batchelder  died  in  Haverhill,  April  8, 1818,  in  the  fifty-first 
year  of  his  age. 


136 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 


about  forty  singing  the  songs  of  Zion  ;  several  were  pray- 
ing or  exhorting— yet  no  confusion.  We  proceeded  to  the 
sea,  whose  hoarse  roar  seemed  to  forbid  our  approach ; 
but  an  isthmus  formed  by  nature  furnished  us  with  a 
beautiful  cove  where  the  water  was  as  smooth  as  a  sea  of 
glass.  Here  ten  persons  went  down  into  the  water  in 
imitation  of  the  humble  Jesus.  A  semi-circular  declivity 
was  thronged  with  spectators,  and,  though  the  night  was 
dark,  the  reflex  glare  of  the  lights  from  the  water  com- 
pletely enlightened  the  whole.  The  scene  exceeded  my 
power  of  description."  ^  No  more  vivid  picture  of  revival 
services  in  the  District  of  Maine  a  century  ago  has  come 
down  to  us  than  that  presented  by  the  pastor  of  the  Ber- 
wick Great  Hill  church. 

The  following  table  gives  the  summary  of  statistics  of 
the  New  Hampshire  Association  in  the  first  decade  of  the 
new  century : 


10 

u 

0) 

03 

03 

t 

'S 

t 

.£3 

•2 

S 

1  ■ 

'd 

§ 

o 

< 

Q 

H 

5 

S 

1800 

15 

18 

189 

32 

14 

16 

1560 

1801 

18 

20 

332 

96 

1 

19 

2035 

1802 

15 

22 

222 

38 

6 

10 

1925 

1803 

17 

22 

125 

23 

13 

19 

2022 

1804 

20 

24 

157 

115 

14 

29 

2106 

1805 

22 

25 

89 

30 

22 

16 

2081 

1806 

19 

24 

98 

25 

25 

26 

2205 

1807 

20 

26 

65 

19 

14 

6 

2210 

1808 

20 

28 

100 

34 

12 

20 

2218 

1809 

23 

28 

70 

32 

23 

14 

2198 

1810 

17 

23 

70 

32 

23 

14 

2193 

In  the  Bowdoinham  Association  the  growth  of  the  de- 
nomination was  even  more  rapid  than  in  the  New  Hamp- 
shire Association.  More  new  settlements  were  opened, 
and  more  missionary  work  was  performed.  Five  new 
churches  were  received  to  membership  at  the  meeting 
of  the  association  in  Greene,  Aug.  27  and  28,  1800,  viz., 

^  The  First  Century  of  the  Baptist  church  in  North  Berwick,  Me.,  1768-1868,  by  Rev. 
Edmund  Worth,  pp.  18,  19. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  137 

Brunswick,  Littleborough  (Leeds),  Woolwich,  Meduncook 
(Friendship)  and  Warren.  In  1782,  Elder  Potter  began  to 
preach  in  private  houses  in  Brunswick,  his  native  town. 
Mr.  Case  followed,  but  his  labors  were  infrequent.  In 
1792,  a  few  Baptists  held  occasional  meetings  at  Maquoit, 
near  the  head  of  Maquoit  Bay.  A  society  was  formed, 
and  about  1798,  in  spite  of  fierce  opposition  on  the  part  of 
the  standing  order,  a  meeting-house  was  built.  A  church 
of  eight  members  was  organized  in  September,  1799,  of 
which  Elisha  Williams,  who  was  ordained  at  Livermore  in 
that  year  in  connection  with  the  meeting  of  that  associa- 
tion, became  pastor. 

To  Littleborough,  in  1773,  came  Roger  and  Thomas 
Stinchfield  from  New  Gloucester  as  settlers.  With  them 
came  Thomas  Francis,  a  lad  of  seventeen.  He  was  born 
in  England  and  was  apprenticed  to  a  physician.  Running 
away  he  had  shipped  on  his  Majesty's  ship  Black  Prince, 
which  was  wrecked  on  the  coast  of  Maine.  As  the  ship- 
wrecked sailors  were  making  their  way  to  Falmouth,  some 
of  them,  including  young  Francis,  stopped  at  one  of  the 
Stinchfield's.  Mr.  Stinchfield  was  pleased  with  the  boy 
and  invited  him  to  make  his  home  with  him.  Young 
Francis  declined,  but  on  rising  the  next  morning  his  feet 
were  so  sore  that  he  was  unable  to  proceed  on  his  journey. 
He  accordingly  accepted  Mr.  Stinchfield's  kind  offer.  This 
was  the  beginning  of  a  new  course  of  life  which  was 
one  of  increasing  usefulness  and  honor  until  Mr.  Francis' 
death  at  a  ripe  old  age.  He  was  baptized  in  Leeds  by 
Elder  Potter  in  1795,  and  was  at  once  licensed  to  preach. 
He  was  ordained  at  Leeds  in  1798,  supplied  the  church  in 
Wayne  in  1798  and  1799,  and  became  pastor  of  the  church 
in  Leeds  at  its  organization  in  1800.  He  continued  in  the 
active  pastorate  of  the  church  until  1835,  and  was  the 
senior  pastor  of  the  church  at  the  time  of  his  death.  May 
9,  1836.  He  was  at  one  time  a  member  of  the  Maine 
Senate. 

In  Woolwich,  Rev.  Benjamin  Randall  had  organized  a 
Freewill  Baptist  church  as  early  as  1781.     Two  years  later 


138  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

Elders  Potter,  Case  and  Macomber  preached  occasionally 
in  the  town,  and  as  a  result  of  their  labors  there  were 
additions  to  the  Bowdoinham  church.  In  1796,  a  petition 
was  sent  to  the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts  from  "a 
number  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  towns  of  Bowdoinham 
and  Woolwich,"  praying  to  be  incorporated  into  a  Baptist 
society  in  order  that  the  Baptists  in  Woolwich  might  be 
relieved  "from  paying  taxes  to  the  Congregational  min- 
ister of  said  town."  The  petition  was  granted  in  the 
session  of  1797-8.  When,  in  1800,  a  Baptist  church  was 
organized,  most  of  the  members  were  from  the  Congrega- 
tional church.^ 

The  church  in  Meduncook  (Friendship)  was  the  fruit  of 
the  labors  of  Ephraim  Hall  of  Cushing,  and  had  thirty 
members  when  it  joined  the  Bowdoinham  Association  in 
1800. 

Warren,  settled  in  1736  by  Scotch  Presbyterians  from 
the  north  of  Ireland,  was  visited  in  1784  by  Elders  Case 
and  Snow,  and  as  a  result  of  their  work  in  the  place 
converts  were  added  to  the  church  in  Thomaston.  The 
church  organized  at  Warren  in  1800  consisted  of  fourteen 
members. 

The  Baptist  church  in  Portland  had  a  like  number  of 
members  when  it  joined  the  Bowdoinham  Association  in 
1801.  From  Jan.  29,  1772,  when  Rev.  Hezekiah  Smith 
came  from  North  Yarmouth  to  Falmouth  and  preached 
"at  Mr.  Burnam's,"  the  place  seems  not  to  have  been 
visited  by  Baptist  preachers  until  Rev.  Isaac  Case  and 
Dr.  Green  of  North  Yarmouth  made  their  way  thither  in 
1796  or  1797.  "We  preached,"  says  Mr.  Case,  "to  whom- 
soever might  be  disposed  to  hear  us."  Mr.  Case  contin- 
ued his  visits,  meeting  from  time  to  time  "a  few  indi- 
viduals coming  off  from  the  Congregational  churches," 
among  them  Benjamin  Titcomb,  a  man  of  prominence  in 
the  community.  "At  first,"  says  Mr.  Case,  "The  Bap- 
tists could  not  secure  a  congregation  of  more  than  half  a 
dozen  ;  but  now  the  number  of  hearers  became  too  numer- 

*  A  History  of  the  Baptists  of  Maine,  by  Rev.  Joshua  Millet,  p.  166. 


REV.    BENJAMIN   TITCOMB. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  139 

ous  for  the  schoolhouse  in  which  they  usually  met,  and  a 
convenient  hall  was  obtained  for  their  accommodation." 
The  Baptist  church  in  Portland  was  organized  in  the  house 
of  Mr.  Titcomb  July  24,  1801.' 

The  churches  added  to  the  Bowdoinham  Association  in 
1802  were  Freetown  (China),  Mt.  Ephraim  (Swanville) 
and  2d  Buckfield.  In  1803,  New  Sharon,  with  twenty- 
two  members,  was  added  to  the  association,  and  in  1804, 
five  churches,  Canaan,  Sumner,  Islesborough,  Vinalhaven 
and  Bethel,  in  the  District  of  Maine,  and  Jefferson  and 
Lancaster  across  the  border  in  New  Hampshire,  organized 
by  Rev.  Isaac  Case  in  1804. 

The  first  division  of  the  Bowdoinham  Association  was 
made  in  1804.  A  petition  for  a  division  had  been  pre- 
sented in  1801,  but  after  some  consultation  on  the  subject 
and  a  consideration  of  the  advantages  and  disadvantages 
that  would  arise  from  a  division,  it  was  voted,  as  the  opin- 
ion of  the  association,  that  it  was  not  expedient  to  make 
a  division.  In  1803,  the  matter  received  further  consider- 
ation, and  upon  a  request  of  several  churches  it  was  voted 
that  it  was  expedient  to  have  the  division  made.  There 
were  now  connected  with  the  Bowdoinham  Association 
forty-eight  churches,  thirty-two  ordained  ministers  and 
two  thousand,  one  hundred  and  twenty-one  members. 
There  were  also  at  remote  points  to  the  eastward  Baptist 
churches  unassociated  on  account  of  distance  from  other 
churches  of  like  faith  and  order ;  for  example.  Cherry- 
field  and  Eastport.     It  was  accordingly  voted  at  the  meet- 

'  Mr.  Titcomb  was  bom  in  Portland,  then  Falmouth,  July  23,  1761.  He  was  educated  at 
Dummer  Academy,  Newbury,  Mass.,  and  served  an  apprenticeship  as  a  printer  at  New- 
buryi)ort,  Mass.  Having  completed  his  apprenticeship  he  established  a  printing  office  in 
his  native  town,  and  on  the  first  of  January,  1785,  he  struck  off  with  his  own  hands  the 
first  newspaper  sheet  ever  printed  in  Maine,  The  Falmouth  Gazette  and  Weekly  Adver- 
tiser. He  united  with  the  Baptist  church  in  North  Yarmouth  in  the  summer  of  1799, 
August  27, 1801,  he  was  ordained  at  North  Yarmouth,  and  in  the  following  month  he 
received  an  invitation  to  the  pastorate  of  the  church  in  Portland.  This  invitation  he 
accepted,  and  he  served  the  church  until  September,  1804,  when  he  became  pastor  of  the 
Baptist  church  in  Brunswick.  Dr.  Shaylor  says  of  him,  "He  was  a  faithful  minister,  a 
good  pastor,  a  judicious  counselor."  Mr.  Titcomb  died  in  Brunswick  Sept.  30,  1848,  in  the 
eighty-eighth  year  of  his  age  and  the  forty-eighth  of  his  ministry.  Historical  Discourse 
at  the  One  Hundredth  Anniversary  of  the  First  Baptist  Church,  Portland,  Oct.  10,  1901, 
by  Rev.  H.  S.  Burrage,  D.  D. 


140  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

ing  of  the  association  at  Readfield  in  1804  "that  those 
churches  which  wish  to  withdraw  from  the  association 
meet  at  Ballstown  the  fourth  Wednesday  in  October 
next."  In  accordance  with  this  action  sixteen  churches 
withdrew  from  the  Bowdoinham  Association,  including 
two  of  the  three  original  churches  of  the  association, 
Bowdoinham  and  Thomaston.  The  churches  remaining 
in  the  association  were  as  follows :  Harpswell,  Bowdoin, 
Sidney,  Litchfield,  Hebron,  Buckfield,  Paris,  Lewiston, 
Readfield,  Fayette,  Livermore,  Greene,  Wayne,  Lisbon, 
New  Gloucester,  Clinton,  North  Yarmouth,  New  Vine- 
yard, Farmington,  2d  Litchfield,  Wales,  Jay,  Mount  Ver- 
non, Brunswick,  Leeds,  Portland,  2d  Buckfield,  New 
Sharon,  Canaan,  Sumner,  Bethel,  and  Jefferson  and  Lan- 
caster, These  thirty-two  churches  had  a  membership  of 
thirteen  hundred  and  seventy-five. 

In  the  following  year  the  Bowdoinham  Association, 
notwithstanding  the  withdrawal  of  so  many  churches, 
reported  a  membership  of  seventeen  hundred  and  ten. 
At  the  association  in  Buckfield,  Sept.  24  and  25,  1806, 
four  churches  were  received,  2d  Sidney,  2d  Bowdoin,  Bel- 
grade and  Norway,  and  the  membership  had  increased  to 
nineteen  hundred  and  twelve.  The  2d  Sidney  and  2d 
Bowdoin  churches  were  the  fruit  of  powerful  revivals  in 
connection  with  the  labors  of  Rev.  Henry  Kendall.^ 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Bowdoinham  Association^  at 
Brunswick,  Sept.  23  and  24,  1807,   the  churches  at  Hal- 

*  Henry  Kendall  was  bom  in  Sanf  ord,  July  3,  1774,  and  in  his  youth  was  apprenticed  to 
a  tanner  and  shoemaker  in  Center  Harbor,  N.  H.  At  length  he  was  converted,  and  he 
was  baptized  at  Meredith  in  September,  1795.  As  he  worked  at  his  shoemaker's  bench, 
he  kept  his  Bible  open  on  the  window  before  him  and  so  studied  the  sacred  Word.  Often 
he  would  preach  to  himself  from  some  text.  At  length  he  began  to  exhort  at  religious 
meetings  and  in  1801  to  preach  by  appointment.  In  May,  1802,  with  his  family  he  came 
into  the  District  of  Maine,  and  visited  Mount  Vernon,  Palermo,  Litchfield  and  other 
places.  In  February,  1804,  he  moved  his  family  to  Litchfield,  and  June  5,  1805,  he  was 
ordained  at  Mount  Vernon.  In  1805  and  1806  he  was  at  Bowdoin  and  Sidney.  Impressed 
with  the  idea  that  the  Lord  had  a  work  for  him  to  do  in  Hallowell,  he  preached  several 
times.  In  March,  1807,  he  saw  signs  of  a  revival.  The  strange  sight  of  a  baptism  on  a 
cold,  bkistering  day  in  April  made  a  deep  impression.  A  Baptist  church  of  twenty-nine 
members  was  organized.  Elder  Potter,  now  seventy-three  years  old,  preaching  the  ser- 
mon. The  Autobiography  of  Elder  Henry  Kendall,  with  an  introduction  by  Prof.  J.  T. 
Champlin,  D.  D.,  was  published  by  the  author  in  Portland  in  1853. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 


141 


lowell  and  Minot  were  admitted  to  membership,  and  at 
Fayette,  Sept.  29,  1808,  Freeport,  2d  Lisbon  and  Pejep- 
scot  churches  were  received.  There  were  now  forty- 
one  churches  connected  with  the  association,  having  two 
thousand,  two  hundred  and  seventy-seven  members,  and 
at  this  meeting  of  the  association  the  question  of  division 
was  again  considered.  It  was  finally  voted  "to  waive  the 
division  of  the  association  the  present  year,  and  that  the 
churches  take  the  matter  into  consideration,  and  communi- 
cate their  opinion  to  the  association  next  session." 

At  this  session,  which  was  held  at  Leeds  Sept.  27  and 
28,  1809,  five  churches,  Cornville,  Harmony,  Denmark, 
Number  Five  (Cambridge)  and  Piscataquis  were  received, 
and  the  membership  was  increased  to  two  thousand,  five 
hundred  and  forty-two.  The  question  of  division  was 
again  brought  before  the  association,  and  it  was  voted  to 
postpone  its  consideration,  the  churches  meanwhile  being 
requested  to  agree  upon  the  dividing  line  and  communicate 
their  opinion  to  the  association  at  the  annual  meeting  in 
1810. 

The  following  table  shows  the  growth  of  the  Bowdoin- 
ham  Association  during  the  first  decade  of  the  century. 


i 

01 

c 

0) 

9i 

2 

0) 

m 
'S 

X 

^ 
^ 

CO 

i 

O 

< 

5 

w 

5 

s 

1800 

21 

37 

136 

103 

58 

10 

1613 

1801 

24 

37 

128 

36 

39 

16 

1648 

1802 

24 

41 

162 

24 

41 

16 

1754 

1803 

28 

42 

205 

37 

81 

16 

1873 

1804 

28 

48 

196 

62 

41 

14 

2121 

1805 

20 

32 

351 

19 

25 

11 

1710 

1806 

26 

36 

186 

80 

31 

12 

1912 

1807 

24 

38 

135 

36 

38 

17 

1989 

1808 

30 

41 

238 

66 

31 

13 

2277 

1809 

36 

46 

216 

48 

62 

15 

2542 

1810 

36 

51 

400 

105 

51 

25 

2843 

The  sixteen  churches  that  withdrew  from  the  Bowdoin- 
ham  Association  to  form  the  Lincoln  Association,  in  accord- 
ance with  the  vote  of  the  association  in  1804,  were  as 


142  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

follows :  Bowdoinham,  Thomaston,  Vassalborough,  Balls- 
town,  Miscongus  Island,  St.  George,  Nobleboro,  Hope, 
Harlem  (China) ,  Woolwich,  Meduncook  (Friendship) ,  War- 
ren, Fairfax  (Albion),  Mount  Ephraim  (Swanville),  Isles- 
borough  and  Vinalhaven.  At  the  first  session  of  the  asso- 
ciation at  St.  George,  Sept.  4  and  5,  1805,  the  Palermo  and 
Beaver  Hill  (Freedom)  church,  with  forty-two  members, 
and  the  Sedgwick  church,  with  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  members,  were  added.  The  Sedgwick  church  was 
an  accession  that  meant  a  great  deal  to  the  Baptists  of 
Maine.  Its  pastor.  Rev.  Daniel  Merrill,  had  been  pastor 
of  the  Congregational  church  in  Sedgwick  since  1793,  and 
under  his  ministry  the  church  had  become  one  of  the 
largest,  if  not  the  largest  in  the  state.  ^  Several  of  his 
students  for  the  ministry  had  become  Baptists.  This  led 
Mr.  Merrill  to  make  a  protracted  investigation  of  the 
subjects  of  baptism  with  the  design  of  refuting  from  the 
Scriptures  the  Baptist  position.  So  he  turned  to  the  Bible 
and  studied  its  pages  from  Genesis  to  Revelation,  intend- 
ing to  write  a  book  which  might  be  helpful  in  showing 
Baptists  the  unscripturalness  of  their  position.  But  he 
failed  to  find  what  he  sought.  He  then  renewed  his 
search,  but  with  no  better  results,  though  it  was  contin- 
ued more  than  two  years.  He  says  :  "Towards  the  close 
of  my  research  for  what  I  had  long  believed  to  be  the 
truth,  and  for  that  evidence  of  it  which  might  compel 
every  honest  Baptist  to  buy  it  by  exchanging  his  errors 
for  it,  my  pain  became  severe.  To  my  great  disappoint- 
ment and  extreme  regret,  I  was  driven  to  the  then  very 
sorrowful  conclusion  that  the  sacred  Scriptures  did  not 
afford  clear  and  direct  evidence  to  support  my  own  prac- 
tice. ...  At  this  time  eight  children  were  about 
being  presented  to  have  the  rite  of  sprinkling  adminis- 
tered to  them.  I  considered  that  I  was  under  no  obliga- 
tion to  go,  nor  even  had  liberty  to  go,  where  the  Lord 
would  not  go  with  me,  and  as  he  had  refused  me  the  light 

'  Mr.  Merrill,  in  his  Autobiography,  p.  10,  says  the  number  was  one  hundred  and  eighty- 
nine,  "if  I  mistake  not,  the  most  numerous  of  any  church  of  any  name  in  the  district." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  143 

of  evidence  in  favor  of  this  rite,  I  refused  to  administer 
it.  .  .  .  By  my  particular  desire,  the  church,  with  but 
three  dissenting  voices,  agreed  to  observe  a  day  of  fasting 
and  prayer  before  the  Lord,  to  implore  his  merciful  inter- 
ference, that  we  might  not  renounce  the  practice  to  which 
we  had  been  accustomed,  if  that  practice  was  ...  in 
accordance  with  his  revealed  will.  The  day  was  observed 
with  much  solemnity.  With  painful  solicitude  did  our 
devout  supplications  ascend  to  the  Father  of  our  spirits 
that  he  would  scatter  light  in  our  paths,  settle  the  doubt- 
ful minds  and  lead  us  in  the  good  and  right  way. "  ^ 

But  the  light  so  carefully  and  prayerfully  sought  did  not 
come.  Mr.  Merrill's  distress  continued  several  months. 
'  *I  was  in  uncertainty  as  to  the  manner  in  which  persons 
should  be  visibly  introduced  into  this  kingdom,"  he  says, 
"as  much  as  I  was  in  relation  to  the  gospel  subjects." 
One  source  of  his  distress  was  the  fact  that  he  had  an 
"unconquered  antipathy"  to  the  Baptists.  "I  could  not 
bear  the  idea  of  being  called  one."  But  at  length  he  sur- 
rendered himself  "and  the  whole  concern"  to  the  Lord, 
"without  so  much  as  a  known  mental  reservation.  Thus 
by  an  unconditional  submission  to  the  will  of  God,  I  was 
enabled  to  roll  my  burden  upon  him,  and  found  peace." 

The  first  Sunday  after  securing  relief  from  his  distress- 
ing perplexity,  Mr.  Merrill  preached  the  first  two  of  seven 
sermons  in  which  he  set  forth  the  conclusions  he  had 
reached.  These  sermons  made  a  deep  impression  upon  the 
members  of  his  church.  Writing  Nov.  16,  1804,  to  Rev. 
Elisha  Williams  of  Beverly,  Mass.,  Mr.  Merrill  said:  "I 
have  within  four  weeks  preached  seven  sermons  on  the 
mode  and  subjects  [of  baptism],  which  will  probably  be 
sent  to  the  press  within  a  few  months.  .  .  .  My  pres- 
ent expectation  is,  that  we  shall,  should  the  Lord  be  on 
our  side,  wish  to  be  baptized,  and  formed  into  a  regular 
Baptist  church." 

Opposition  at  once  was  developed.  A  petition,  signed 
by  seven  men  in  the  place,  was  presented  to  the  selectmen 

'  Autobiography  of  Rev.  Daniel  Merrill,  pp.  3,  4. 


144  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

of  Sedgwick,  asking  them  to  call  a  town  meeting  to  act 
on  the  following  particulars  :  "1.  To  choose  a  moderator. 
2.  To  see  if  the  town  will  receive  the  Rev.  Daniel  Merrill 
as  a  town  minister  upon  the  Baptist  platform.  3.  To  see 
if  the  town  will  reject  the  Rev.  Daniel  Merrill  from  his 
salary,  since  he  has  become  a  Baptist.  4.  To  see  if  the 
town  will  reject  Rev.  Daniel  Merrill  from  the  pulpit  since 
he  has  became  a  Baptist."  The  meeting  was  held  Jan. 
28,  1805.  It  was  a  very  stormy  day,  but  the  meeting 
was  largely  attended.  When  the  question  was  proposed, 
"Will  the  town  receive  the  Rev.  Daniel  Merrill  as  the 
town  minister  upon  the  Baptist  platform?"  the  vote 
was  declared  to  be  in  the  affirmative.  The  decision  of  the 
moderator  was  doubted,  but  when  a  division  was  ordered, 
the  majority  was  so  overwhelming  that  the  negative  vote 
was  not  even  counted.  The  other  articles  in  the  warrant 
were  disposed  of  in  a  like  manner. 

All  opposition  having  now  been  overcome,  the  church,  at 
a  meeting  held  Feb.  28,  1805,  voted  unanimously  to  call  a 
council  of  Baptist  ministers  '  'to  come  and  assist  them  in 
the  following  particulars,  viz.  :  1st.  To  administer  Chris- 
tian baptism  to  them ;  2d.  To  constitute  them  into  a 
church  upon  the  primitive  Baptist  platform ;  3d.  To  set 
over  them  in  the  Lord,  the  Rev.  Daniel  Merrill  to  be  their 
minister." 

In  accordance  with  this  request.  Rev.  Thomas  Baldwin 
of  Boston,  Rev.  John  Pitman  of  Providence,  R.  I. ,  and  Rev. 
Elisha  Williams  of  Beverly,  Mass. ,  accompanied  by  several 
laymen,  took  passage  at  Salem  Thursday  evening.  May  9, 
1805,  and  arrived  at  Sedgwick  at  one  o'clock  Saturday 
afternoon. 

The  next  day  in  the  forenoon,  Mr.  Pitman  preached 
from  Acts  5:20,  "Go,  stand  and  speak  in  the  temple  to 
the  people  all  the  words  of  this  life."  After  an  intermis- 
sion of  half  an  hour,  Mr.  Baldwin  preached  from  1  Cor. 
3:9,  "Ye  are  God's  building."  After  another  inter- 
mission of  a  few  minutes,  Mr.  Williams  preached  from 
Prov.  25 :  25,  '  'As  cold  waters  to  a  thirsty  soul,  so  is  good 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  145 

news  from  a  far  country."  At  six  o'clock  Mr.  Baldwin 
preached  again  from  Solomon's  Song  1 : 8,  "If  thou  know 
not,  0  thou  fairest  among  women,  go  thy  way  forth  by 
the  footsteps  of  the  flock,  and  feed  thy  kids  beside  the 
shepherds'  tents." 

Monday  afternoon  at  two  o'clock  the  council  met  and 
adjourned  until  the  next  day.  At  three  o'clock  Mr.  Wil- 
liams preached  from  John  14  :  21,  "He  that  hath  my  com- 
mandments, and  keepeth  them,  he  it  is  that  loveth  me." 
The  rest  of  the  day,  after  the  sermon,  was  spent  in  the 
examination  of  candidates  for  baptism.  The  examination 
continued  on  Tuesday.  At  half-past  ten  Tuesday  fore- 
noon, Mr.  Williams  preached  from  Acts  2  :  41,  "Then  they 
that  gladly  received  his  word  were  baptized."  The  bap- 
tism of  the  candidates  followed.  The  place  selected  for 
the  administration  of  the  ordinance  was  "in  the  tide 
waters  of  Benjamin's  river,  about  one  mile  from  the  sea. 
A  more  beautiful  or  convenient  place  is  scarcely  to  be 
imagined.  The  land  adjoining  was  sufficiently  elevated  to 
accommodate  spectators  with  the  best  possible  prospect ; 
and  yet  sloping  so  gently  to  the  margin  of  the  river  that 
those  at  the  furthest  distance  might  see  as  plainly  as  those 
who  stood  nighest."  Prayer,  first  of  all,  was  offered, 
invoking  the  divine  blessing.  Amid  profound  silence  Mr. 
Baldwin  led  Mr.  Merrill  into  the  water,  repeating  the 
words,  "And  they  went  down  both  into  the  water,  both 
Philip  and  the  eunuch,  and  he  baptized  him."  After  his 
baptism,  and  while  still  in  the  water,  Mr.  Merrill  expressed 
the  satisfaction  he  felt  in  thus  yielding  obedience  to  the 
divine  command.  As  Mr.  Baldwin  and  Mr,  Merrill  came 
up  out  of  the  water  Mr.  Williams  went  down  with  Mrs. 
Merrill,  repeating  these  words:  "And  they  were  both 
righteous  before  God,  walking  in  all  the  commandments 
and  ordinances  of  the  Lord  blameless."  Thus  candidate 
followed  candidate  until  sixty-six  were  baptized.  The 
service  was  concluded  with  prayer  and  singing. 

At   five   o'clock,    at   the    meeting-house,    Mr.    Pitman 

11 


146  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

preached  from  John  12 :  26,  '  'If  any  man  serve  me,  let 
him  follow  me ;  and  where  I  am,  there  shall  also  my  ser- 
vant be  :  if  any  man  serve  me,  him  will  my  father  honor. ' ' 

Wednesday  morning  the  council  met  and  examined  nine- 
teen more  candidates,  who  were  baptized  at  the  same 
place  as  those  on  the  previous  day.  At  one  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  the  candidates  assembled  in  the  meeting-house 
and  formed  a  church  organization.  By  appointment  of 
the  council,  Rev.  Isaac  Case  gave  to  them  the  hand  of  fel- 
lowship "as  a  sister  church  of  Christ,"  and  by  prayer 
commended  them  to  God  and  the  word  of  his  grace.  The 
council  then  proceeded  to  ordain  Mr.  Merrill  as  pastor 
of  the  church.  Prayer  was  offered  by  Mr.  Baldwin,  who 
then  preached  an  impressive  discourse  from  Jude,  3d  verse, 
"Earnestly  contend  for  the  faith  which  was  once  deliv- 
ered unto  the  saints,"^  Rev.  EHsha  Snow  of  Thomaston 
offered  the  ordaining  prayer;  Rev.  Abraham  Cummings 
of  Vinalhaven  gave  the  charge ;  Rev.  Elisha  Williams  of 
Beverly,  Mass. ,  extended  the  hand  of  fellowship,  and  the 
concluding  prayer  was  by  Rev.  John  Pitman  of  Provi- 
dence, R.  I. 

As  the  service  closed  a  vessel  from  Machias,  belong- 
ing in  Sedgwick  and  bound  to  Boston,  anchored  off  the 
town.  On  her  the  visitors  embarked  Thursday  morning, 
and  before  sunset  on  Friday  they  were  in  Boston. 

We  can  hardly  overestimate  the  importance  of  this  event 
in  the  history  of  the  Baptists  of  Maine.  As  Dr.  Shailer 
says,  it  "tended  greatly  to  encourage  and  strengthen  the 
Baptists.  They  had  been  charged,  to  an  extent  not  alto- 
gether true,  of  having  only  unlearned  and  ignorant  men 
in  their  ministry,  and  of  gaining  converts  to  their  faith 

*  This  sermon  by  Mr.  Baldwin  was  published.  It  was  entitled,  "A  Sermon  Delivered  at 
Sedg-vrick,  May  15,  1805,  at  the  Ordination  of  the  Rev.  Daniel  Merrill  to  the  Pastoral 
Charge  of  the  Baptist  Church  of  Christ  in  that  Place."  Mr.  Merrill  served  the  church  as 
its  pastor  until  1814,  when  he  became  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Nottingham,  N.  H., 
where  he  remained  seven  years.  He  then  returned  to  Sedgwick  and  resumed  the  pastor- 
ate of  the  church,  continuing  this  relation  until  his  death.  Mr.  Merrill's  grandchildren 
have  placed  in  the  church  a  memorial  tablet  with  this  inscription,  "In  Respectful  Mem- 
ory of  our  Grandfather,  Rev.  Daniel  Merrill,  Founder  of  this  Church  May  14,  1805,  and 
for  twenty-one  years  its  devoted  pastor.    Bom  March  18,  1765.    Died  June  3,  1833." 


FIRST   BAPTIST   CHURCH,    SEDGWICK. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  147 

only  from  the  more  illiterate  classes  of  the  community. 
And  to  have  a  man  of  so  much  intelligence  and  piety,  a 
man  of  acknowledged  scholarship/  and  who  had  instructed 
young  men  preparing  for  the  ministry,  and  who  had 
preached  earnestly  and  sustained  an  unblemished  reputa- 
tion in  that  town  for  some  twelve  years,— to  have  such  a 
man  and  more  than  a  hundred  of  his  parishioners,  from  no 
conceivable  worldly  motives,  but  from  settled  convictions 
of  truth  and  duty,  come  out  and  avow  Baptist  sentiments, 
awakened  an  interest,  produced  an  impression,  and  had  an 
influence  greater  and  broader  than  we,  at  this  remote  day, 
and  in  different  circumstances,  embrace  even  in  our  con- 
ceptions."" 

The  increase  of  the  denomination  continued  to  be  rapid. 
Young  men  of  piety  and  promise  entered  the  ministry, 
the  missionaries  employed  were  active  and  zealous,  and 
as  they  went  everywhere  preaching  the  word  converts 
were  multiplied  and  churches  organized.  At  the  meeting 
of  the  Lincoln  Association  at  Warren,  Sept.  3  and  4,  1806, 
three  new  churches.  Unity,  Columbia  and  Bluehill,  were 
admitted  to  fellowship.  Four  churches  were  added  in  the 
following  year,  viz.,  Northport,  Montville,  Carmel  and 
Surry.  But  when  the  association  met  at  Ballstown,  Sept. 
21  and  22,  1808,  ten  churches  presented  themselves  and 
asked  admission  to  membership,  viz.,  1st  and  2d  Jefferson, 
Matinicus,  Deer  Isle,  Stetson,  1st  Camden,  2d  Camden, 
Frankfort,  2d  Hope,  and  2d  Vassalboro.  "Our  hearts 
have  witnessed  the  glorious  effusions  of  his  divine  Spirit  in 
the  hearts  of  men,"  was  the  language  of  the  Correspond- 
ing Letter.  The  additions  by  baptism  were  four  hundred 
and  ninety-two.  Thomaston  reported  one  hundred  and 
thirty-three. 

'  Mr.  Merrill  was  a  graduate  of  Dartmouth  College.  Only  two  others  of  the  early  Bap- 
tist ministers  in  the  District  of  Maine,  Rev.  Peletiah  Tingley  of  Sanford  and  Rev. 
Abraham  Cummings  (Brown  University,  1776,)  of  North  Yarmouth,  were  college  gradu- 
ates. Mr.  Tingley,  as  has  been  shown,  early  became  identified  with  the  Free  Baptist 
movement,  and  Mr.  Cummings  was  so  little  in  harmony  with  his  Baptist  brethren  that 
he  made  his  ministry  a  general  one  without  taking  a  pastorate. 

*  Historical  Discourse  by  Rev.  William  H.  Shailer,  D.  D.,  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist 
Church  Portland,  preached  in  Hallowell,  June  20,  1876,  at  the  Fifty-second  Anniversary 
of  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Convention,  Minutes,  p.  90. 


148 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 


Six  churches,  2d  Palermo,  Orland,  Belfast,  Hampden, 
Buckstown  (Bucksport)  and  2d  Ballstown,  were  added  at 
the  meeting  of  the  association  in  Thomaston,  Sept.  20  and 
21,  1809,  and  as  many  more,  namely,  Dixmont,  1st  Steu- 
ben, 2d  Steuben,  Trenton,  Sullivan  and  New  Charleston, 
at  the  meeting  of  the  association  at  Vassalborough  Sept. 
19  and  20,  1810.  The  seed  that  had  been  sown  brought 
forth  abundantly,  and  the  reaper  followed  close  upon  the 
feet  of  the  sower. 

The  statistics  of  Lincoln  Association  to  the  close  of  the 
decade  are  as  follows  : 


m 

CO 

'S 

m 
3 

1 
'-3 

m 
1 

'73 

2 
B 

X. 

T3 

•  ^ 

X 

§ 

o 

< 

Q 

W 

Q 

^ 

1805 

14 

18 

83 

42 

10 

5 

897 

1806 

13 

21 

81 

44 

16 

8 

1151 

1807 

22 

25 

63 

51 

18 

11 

1135 

1808 

24 

37 

492 

122 

21 

5 

1767 

1809 

28 

41 

186 

84 

55 

14 

1974 

1810 

33 

47 

183 

87 

55 

14 

2301 

CHAPTER  X. 


Further  Expansion. 

The  churches  continued  to  prosper,  and  new  churches 
were  organized  here  and  there  as  the  result  of  missionary 
activity.  Again  there  was  a  call  for  a  division  of  Bow- 
doinham  Association.  At  the  meeting  held  at  Livermore, 
Sept.  26  and  27,  1810,  it  was  voted  to  divide  the  associa- 
tion by  the  Androscoggin  river,  "so  far  as  said  river 
divides  the  counties,  thence  the  line  which  divides  the 
counties  of  Oxford  and  Somerset,  to  be  the  dividing 
line";  and  liberty  was  given  to  the  churches  near  the  line 
to  join  either  association  according  to  their  choice.  The 
new  organization  on  the  west  of  the  Androscoggin  river 
was  known  as  the  Cumberland  Association. 

The  missionary  spirit  was  manifested  at  this  meeting  of 
the  Bowdoinham  Association.  Case  and  others  were  pres- 
ent, full  of  zeal  in  behalf  of  the  Master's  work.  Caleb 
Blood,  the  new  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Portland, 
preached  the  missionary  sermon  from  Isa.  22  :  23,  24. 
"After  sermon,"  the  record  of  the  meeting  reads,  "the 
people  contributed  with  warm  and  (considering  the  pres- 
ent scarcity  of  money)  with  liberal  hearts;  by  contribu- 
tion and  otherwise"  the  sum  of  $166.66  being  placed  in  the 
hands  of  the  treasurer. 

The  scarcity  of  money  to  which  reference  is  here  made 
was  caused  by  the  embargo  act  enacted  by  Congress  Dec. 
21,  1807,  which  prohibited  any  American  vessel  from  sail- 
ing to  any  foreign  port.  A  supplementary  act,  applying 
to  the  navigation  of  rivers,  lakes  and  bays,  made  the  orig- 
inal act  even  more  stringent  and  brought  great  distress  to 
all  of  our  coast  towns. 

The  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Society  met  at  Readfield 


150  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

Sept.  26,  1811.  This  meeting  was  in  connection  with  the 
Bowdoinham  Association,  but  at  the  meeting  of  the  trus- 
tees in  Livermore  in  February,  1812,  it  was  voted  to  hold 
the  next  annual  meeting  '  'at  the  house  of  Elder  Norton  in 
Livermore  the  second  Wednesday  after  the  sitting  of  the 
Cumberland  Association."  At  this  meeting,  held  Oct.  14, 
1812,  there  was  no  election  of  officers  according  to  the 
record.  Rev.  Ransom  Norton  was  elected  chairman  jpro 
tern,  and  missionary  appointments  were  made.  Meetings 
of  the  trustees  were  held  Feb.  17  and  Sept.  30,  1813.  At 
the  meeting  held  Oct.  24,  1815,  it  was  ''Voted,  that  Bro. 
Tripp  be  standing  chairman."  In  the  record  of  this  meet- 
ing we  find  the  first  mention  of  an  executive  committee. 
"Voted,  that  Brethren  Haynes,  Norton  and  Chase  be  an 
executive  committee."  Evidently  little  attention  was  paid 
to  the  requirements  of  the  constitution,  but  the  work 
went  on.  There  is  no  record  of  any  meeting  in  1814,  but 
a  meeting  was  probably  held  in  connection  with  the  Cum- 
berland Association,  as  in  the  Minutes  of  the  association 
for  1814  this  note  is  appended:  "The  trustees  of  the 
Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Society  have  appointed  to  meet 
in  Livermore  the  fourth  Wednesday  in  October,  1815. ' ' 

The  Cumberland  Association  held  its  first  meeting  at 
Yarmouth,  then  known  as  North  Yarmouth,  Oct.  2  and  3, 
1811.  The  following  churches  were  represented :  Harps- 
well,  Hebron,  1st  Buckfield,  Paris,  Livermore,  New  Glou- 
cester, North  Yarmouth,  Jay,  Brunswick,  Portland,  2d 
Buckfield,  Sumner,  Bethel,  Norway,  Minot,  Freeport, 
Pejepscot,  Denmark,  Number  Five,  Bridgton,  Hartford, 
2d  Livermore  and  Bath.  The  latter  church  had  been 
organized  late  in  the  autumn  of  the  preceding  year  in 
connection  with  the  labors  of  Rev.  Silas  Stearns,^  and 

^  Silas  Steams  was  a  native  of  Waltham,  Mass.,  where  he  was  bom  July  26,  1784.  He 
was  ordained  at  North  Yarmouth  as  an  evangelist  Oct.  22,  1807,  and  soon  after  located 
in  PYeeport,  where  he  spent  two  years,  his  preaching  being  attended  with  much  success. 
"But  he  was  unwilling  to  build  on  another  man's  foundation,  and  learning  of  a  fair  pros- 
pect for  gathering  a  Baptist  church  in  Bath,  and  stimulated  by  the  wishes  and  financial 
help  of  his  intimate  friend,  Dea.  John  Stockbridge  of  North  Yarmouth,  he  entered  upon 
a  work  which  closed  only  with  his  life,"  Aug.  1,  1840.  See  Rev.  Silas  Stearns  and  Some 
of  his  Contemporaries,  by  Rev.  O.  S.  Steams,  D.  D.,  Minutes  for  1891. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  151 

reported  a  membership  of  seventeen.  The  membership 
of  the  association  at  its  organization  was  1,165.  This 
included,  however,  twenty-two  members  of  the  Jefferson 
church,  which  was  not  represented  by  messengers.  The 
additions  to  the  churches  by  baptism  during  the  year  were 
102. 

The  churches  remaining  in  the  Bowdoinham  Association 
were  1st  Bowdoin,  1st  Sidney,  1st  Litchfield,  Lewiston, 
Readfield,  Fayette,  Wayne,  Lisbon,  Clinton,  New  Vine- 
yard, Wales,  Mount  Vernon,  Leeds,  New  Sharon,  Canaan, 
2d  Sidney,  2d  Bowdoin,  Belgrade,  Hallowell,  2d  Lisbon, 
Cornville,  Harmony,  Farmington,  Monmouth,  Palmyra, 
Piscataquis,  New  Portland,  and  2d  Litchfield.  The  total 
membership  was  1,556,  and  the  number  of  additions  by 
baptism  during  the  year  was  74. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Lincoln  Association  at  Sedgwick, 
Sept.  16  and  17,  1812,  243  additions  to  the  association 
were  reported,  and  the  total  membership  was  2,673.  Rev. 
Henry  Hale  was  employed  seven  weeks  in  missionary  ser- 
vice by  the  association.  In  1813,  $89.00  were  contributed 
for  missionary  operations,  and  twenty-two  weeks  of  ser- 
vice for  such  work  were  secured. 

The  war  of  1812  was  now  in  progress.^  Glimpses  of  the 
conflict  in  which  the  country  was  engaged  are  found  in 
the  associational  Minutes.  But  the  noise  of  battle  at 
length  was  hushed,  and  the  churches  again  had  rest.  The 
general  joy  was  manifested  in  all  religious  assemblies. 
In  the  Lincoln  Association  the  end  of  the  war  was  made 
all  the  more  welcome  by  a  season  of  refreshing  from  the 
presence  of  the  Lord. 

Rev.  Daniel  Merrill  of  Sedgwick,  writing  to  Dr.  Bald- 
win of  Boston,  Nov.  22,  1815,  said:  **You  have  no  doubt 
received  particulars  of  the  remarkable  work  of  Zion's 

'  The  war  was  unpopular  in  the  District  of  Maine,  as  elsewhere  in  New  Engrland.  The 
Circular  Letter  of  Cumberland  Association  referred  to  "the  unreasonable  jealousy,  acri- 
mony and  illiberality  manifested  by  political  partisans,"  to  the  "illicit  and  unwarrantable 
measures,  resorted  to  to  carry  their  point,  to  increase  a  party,  or  to  grain  a  place  of  trust, 
honor  or  emolument,"  and  to  "the  divisions  and  party  spirit  now  predominant  among  all 
classes  of  our  citizens,  which  have  wrecked  that  happy  union  once  so  prominent  among 
the  only  free  people  on  earth." 


152  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

King  in  the  District  of  Maine.  In  Thomaston,  the  season 
past,  50  have  beheved  and  been  baptized ;  in  St.  George, 
50  more  ;  in  Nobleborough,  112  ;  in  Jefferson,  59 ;  in  Bow- 
doin,  120  or  more  ;  in  several  towns  west  of  Portland,  150 
or  200.  .  .  .  And  all  these  in  the  apostolic  way,  or 
rather  in  Christ's  way,  were  visibly  made  disciples." 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Cumberland  Association  in  Liv- 
ermore  in  1816,  there  were  added  reports  of  revivals. 
Brunswick  reported  133  additions  by  baptism,  Bath,  80, 
and  Portland,  42.  Bowdoinham  Association  reported  142 
additions.  At  the  meeting  of  the  Lincoln  Association  at 
Warren,  Sept.  18  and  19, 1816,  592  additions  were  reported. 
Of  these  141  were  at  Sedgwick,  and  117  at  Bluehill. 

The  season  of  ingathering  continued.  At  the  meeting 
of  the  Lincoln  Association  at  Bluehill,  Sept.  17  and  18, 
1817,  330  baptisms  were  reported,  and  the  total  member- 
ship was  now  3,781.  Bowdoinham  Association,  at  Fay- 
ette, Sept.  24  and  25,  1817,  reported  301  additions  by  bap- 
tism, including  62  in  Fayette,  55  in  Greene,  and  68  in  the 
3d  Livermore.  The  membership  of  the  association  was 
2,090.  Cumberland  Association,  which  met  at  Bath  Octo- 
ber 1st  and  2d,  reported  470  additions  and  a  membership 
of  1,902. 

The  trustees  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Society 
held  their  annual  meeting  in  Buckfield  Oct.  15,  1817,  and 
in  the  report  of  the  meeting  is  this  significant  entry : 
'  'Voted,  that  Brother  Ripley  labor  four  weeks  in  Water- 
ville."  The  place  doubtless  had  been  visited  from  time  to 
time  by  Baptist  missionaries.  A  preacher's  diary,  under 
date  of  1803,  tells  us  of  a  visit  to  Waterville,  and  makes 
mention  of  "a  meeting  kept  up  by  a  number  of  Baptists." 
Mr.  Ripley  was  not  a  man  who  would  fail  to  give  heed  to 
a  request  of  his  brethren.  He  was  pastor  of  the  Baptist 
church  in  Portland,  having  been  ordained  a  little  more 
than  a  year  before,  and  was  not  yet  twenty-two  years  of 
age.  Full  of  missionary  zeal,  deeply  spiritual,  and  with 
an  attractive  personality,  he  could  hardly  have  failed  to 


FIRST   CHURCH.    PORTLAND. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  153 

win  a  favorable  hearing  for  the  gospel  which  he  loved  to 
preach. 

Other  assignments  were  made.  Brethren  Chase  and 
Roberts  were  requested  to  spend  six  weeks  each  in  the 
service  of  the  society.  Brother  Bowles  was  asked  to  spend 
four  weeks  in  the  Coos  country.  Brethren  Boardman  and 
Adams  were  directed  to  Solon  and  the  adjacent  destitute 
parts  for  four  weeks'  service  each.  Brethren  Hutchinson, 
Macomber  and  Daggett  were  assigned  to  the  destitute  set- 
tlements on  the  Piscataquis  river,  where  five  weeks  of 
service  was  requested  of  each.  Brother  Tripp  was  asked 
to  labor  three  weeks  in  Waterford  and  Norway.  Case  and 
Dexter  were  directed  to  the  Penobscot  river  and  bay,  the 
one  to  spend  eight  weeks  and  the  other  four  in  the  desti- 
tute communities  there.  Brethren  Drinkwater  and  Ricker 
were  asked  to  labor  three  weeks  each  in  townships  Num- 
ber One,  Number  Seven,  &c.,  on  the  Androscoggin  river, 
and  Brother  Drinkwater  one  week  in  Rome.  It  was  also 
voted  that  Brethren  Case,  Haynes  and  Houghton  should 
be  employed  each  four  weeks  below  Pleasant  river.  These 
assignments  indicate  the  abiding  strength  of  the  mission- 
ary spirit. 

The  Circular  Letter  of  the  Cumberland  Association,  in 
1817,  refers  to  the  peculiar  blessings  which  the  churches 
had  received  in  large  additions  to  their  membership. 
'  'Let  us  not,  dear  brethren,  grow  vain  by  prosperity,  and 
forget  God,  the  rock  of  our  salvation." 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Lincoln  Association  at  Noble- 
borough,  Sept.  17,  1818,  it  was  voted  to  divide  the  associa- 
tion, its  membership  then  being  3,499.  Penobscot  river 
was  to  be  the  eastern  line,  yet  churches  near  the  line  were 
to  have  their  choice  as  to  the  association  with  which  they 
would  be  connected ;  and  the  churches  comprising  the 
eastern  division  were  called  to  meet  at  Bluehill  on  the 
second  Wednesday  in  November.  This  action  led  to  the 
formation  of  the  Eastern  Maine  Association,  which  was 
organized  at  Bluehill  Nov.  12,  1818,  with  twelve  churches, 
and  held  its  first  session  at  Steuben  in  October,  1819, 


154  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

when  three  churches  were  added,  making  fifteen  churches, 
ten  ordained  ministers  and  1,042  members,  comprising  the 
Baptist  churches  east  of  the  Penobscot  river. 

In  their  report  made  at  Livermore  Oct.  21,  1818,  the 
trustees  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Society  referred 
to  the  good  tidings  which  their  missionaries  had  brought 
to  them.  Work  had  been  performed  in  the  northeasterly 
parts  of  New  Hampshire  and  the  adjoining  parts  of 
Vermont.  The  back  settlements  between  the  Kennebec 
and  the  Penobscot  are  described  as  "an  extended  moral 
waste."  In  this  section  there  were  twenty-eight  towns 
in  a  cluster  in  which  but  two  settled  ministers  were  found. 

The  additions  by  baptism  to  the  churches  in  1818  were 
not  as  large  as  in  previous  years.  York  Association 
reported  101 ;  Cumberland  Association,  92 ;  Bowdoinham 
Association,  292,  and  Lincoln  Association,  128.  The  ener- 
gies of  the  workers  in  the  churches,  however,  seem  not 
in  any  measure  to  have  been  relaxed. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  New  Hampshire  Association  in 
Wells,  June  10  and  11,  1818,  liberty  was  given  to  the 
churches  in  Exeter  and  Salisbury,  N.  H.,  with  other 
churches  desiring  to  make  a  change,  to  withdraw  from  the 
association  in  order  to  form  a  new  association.  Most  of 
the  New  Hampshire  churches  in  the  association  in  accord- 
ance with  this  action  withdrew.  Accordingly  at  the  meet- 
ing of  the  New  Hampshire  Association  in  Cornish,  June  9 
and  10,  1819,  most  of  the  churches  remaining  being  in  the 
County  of  York,  the  name  of  the  association  was  changed, 
and  has  since  been  known  as  the  York  Association. 

The  trustees  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Society 
met  in  Fayette  Oct.  13,  1819.  The  missionaries  were  voted 
$4.50  a  week,  and  appointments  were  made :  "Elders  Gar- 
celon  and  Davison  each  5  weeks ;  Elder  Chase,  6  weeks, 
and  Elder  Roberts,  4  weeks  ;  Elders  Hutchinson  and  Morse 
each  4  weeks." 

At  the  meeting  in  Livermore  Oct.  6,  1820,  the  receipts 
for  the  current  year  were  found  to  amount  to  $314.94, 
and  there  were  $47.00  in  the  treasury.    The  amount  voted 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  155 

to  the  missionaries  per  week  was  four  dollars.  Places 
were  selected  as  fields  for  missionary  labor,  and  appoint- 
ments to  missionary  service  were  also  made.  Messrs. 
Chapin,  Ripley  and  Stockbridge  were  appointed  to  revise 
the  constitution  of  the  society  and  report  at  the  next 
annual  meeting.  A  communication  was  received  from  the 
Maine  Baptist  Education  Society  requesting  the  trustees  of 
the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Society  to  co-operate  "with 
them  in  preparing  a  constitution  for  benevolent  societies 
embracing  domestic  and  foreign  missions,  education  of 
pious  indigent  young  men  called  of  God  to  the  gospel 
ministry,  and  the  procuring  of  a  library  for  the  benefit  of 
ministering  brethren,  together  with  an  address  urging  the 
claims  of  these  respective  objects."  This  address  was 
published  in  connection  with  the  Minutes  of  the  Cumber- 
land Association  for  1820.  In  it  attention  was  called  to 
the  cause  of  missions  in  the  State  and  throughout  the 
world,  and  the  importance  of  aiding  the  cause  was  urged. 
The  address  closed  with  the  submission  of  a  constitution 
which  was  to  be  used  in  organizing  benevolent  work  in 
the  churches  in  aid  of  domestic  and  foreign  missions,  and 
of  educating  ''persons  approbated  by  the  churches  as 
being  called  of  God  to  the  work  of  the  ministry. ' '  This 
was  the  beginning  of  a  movement  which  was  very  influen- 
tial in  developing  the  benevolence  of  the  churches  in  the 
various  lines  indicated  in  the  address  of  the  benevolent 
societies. 

Added  to  this  address  was  the  announcement  that  for 
the  purpose  of  diffusing  religious  intelligence  and  of  excit- 
ing and  cherishing  a  missionary  and  benevolent  spirit,  "all 
benevolent  societies  whose  secretary  shall  notify  the  secre- 
taries of  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  and  Education 
Societies,  viz.,  Elder  John  Haynes  of  Livermore  and  Elder 
Ripley  of  Portland,  shall  be  furnished  gratis  with  a  file  of 
the  Christian  Watchman  and  Baptist  Magazine." 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Soci- 
ety held  at  North  Yarmouth,  Oct.  2,  1821,  trustees  were 


156  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

elected,  and  at  a  meeting  of  the  trustees  two  days  later 
Stephen  Chapin  was  elected  president/  and  Messrs.  Chapin 
and  Stockbridge  were  made  a  committee  to  '  'prepare  a  sys- 
tem of  by-laws  by  which  our  library  shall  be  governed." 
The  committee  appointed  in  1821  to  revise  the  constitution 
reported,  and  the  constitution  as  revised  was  adopted. 
The  missionary  receipts  for  the  year  were  $375.00. 

In  the  Eastern  Maine  Association,  which  met  at  Surry 
Oct.  3  and  4,  1821,  and  of  which  Rev.  Daniel  Merrill 
was  moderator,  much  attention  was  given  to  the  work  of 
domestic  missions.  It  was  recommended  that  each  mem- 
ber contribute  regularly  to  this  object,  and  to  observe  the 
concert  of  prayer  for  the  spread  of  the  gospel  on  the  first 
Monday  afternoon  or  evening  in  every  month.  The  asso- 
ciation took  into  consideration  the  destitute  region  from 
"the  river  St.  Croix  on  our  eastern  boundary,  along  the 
most  northerly  inhabited  parts  of  Maine,  New  Hampshire, 
Vermont,  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  the  Michigan 
territory  generally  and  in  Indiana  and  Illinois.  What  pre- 
sented itself  as  being  a  desirable  and  practicable  event 
is,  that  a  missionary  who  has  a  clear  apprehension  of 
the  gospel  of  Christ  and  of  the  things  of  his  kingdom, 
together  with  sound  judgment,  a  warm  heart  and  good 
education,  should  be  employed  for  one  year  to  traverse  the 
above  route,  keeping  the  most  northerly,  passable  road, 
tracing  the  inlets  into  the  wilderness  where  small  settle- 
ments are  commenced,  and  where  the  gospel  may  seldom 
or  never  have  been  preached ;  pursuing  this  route  till  he 
shall  arrive  at  the  borders  of  the  Michigan  territory,  then, 
and  afterwards,  conform  to  circumstances,  observing,  as 
nearly  as  the  good  of  the  cause  will  justify,  the  instruc- 
tions he  may  receive." 

The  association  approved  the  proposed  measure,  "pro- 
vided there  be  a  probabihty  of  bringing  it  into  operation," 
and  appointed  a  committee  consisting  of  Rev.  Daniel  Mer- 

*  The  change  in  designation  from  chairman  to  president  is  not  explained  in  the  records. 
Mr.  Chapin  was  given  the  same  designation  when  re-elected  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the 
society  in  1822,  and  this  designation  was  continued. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  157 

rill,  Rev.  Amos  Allen,  Rev.  Enoch  Hunting,  Richard  Allen 
and  George  Stevens  "to  put  into  operation  all  suitable 
means  to  effect  the  desired  object." 

The  subsequent  Minutes  do  not  indicate  that  the  com- 
mittee succeeded  in  finding  and  putting  into  the  field  a 
missionary  for  the  proposed  work.  It  should  be  remarked 
in  this  connection,  however,  that  two  of  Rev.  Daniel 
Merrill's  sons  a  few  years  later  went  to  the  Michigan 
territory  and  there  performed  missionary  service. 

For  several  years  after  the  large  additions  to  the 
churches  reported  in  1817  and  1818,  the  pastors  of  the 
churches  were  busily  engaged  in  the  work  of  instructing 
the  converts  and  in  giving  needed  attention  to  the  vari- 
ous movements  for  the  diffusion  of  religious  knowledge. 
The  lukewarm  condition  of  the  churches  because  of  a  lack 
of  revivals  was  deplored,  and  there  was  exhortation  "to 
awake  out  of  sleep."  At  the  meeting  of  the  Lincoln 
Association  at  China,  Sept.  18  and  19,  1822,  it  was  voted  to 
observe  the  last  Wednesday  in  October  following  as  a  day 
of  humiliation,  fasting  and  prayer,  "that  a  prayer-hearing 
God  may  pour  out  his  Spirit  and  revive  the  churches  and 
bring  sinners  to  a  knowledge  of  the  truth."  A  like  vote 
was  passed  by  the  association  at  the  meeting  in  Hope  in 
September,  1823. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Society 
at  Bridgton,  Oct.  3,  1822,  the  trustees  were  directed  to 
apply  to  the  Legislature  of  Maine  for  an  act  of  incorpora- 
tion, "with  all  the  powers  in  such  cases  conferred." 

The  Bowdoinham  Association  met  at  Fayette  Sept.  24 
and  25,  1823,  and  the  committee  on  the  division  of  the 
association  reported  in  favor  of  a  division.  It  was  accord- 
ingly voted  '  'that  the  churches  in  the  northerly  section  of 
this  association  which  may  wish  to  form  themselves  into 
a  new  association  be  requested  to  meet  by  their  delegates 
at  the  Baptist  meeting-house  in  Bloomfield  ^  on  the  second 

'  Bloomfield  was  on  the  south  side  of  the  Kennebec  at  Skowhegran,  and  was  annexed  to 
Skowhegran  in  1861. 


158  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

Wednesday  in  November  next,  at  10  o'clock  A.  M. ,  to  take 
into  consideration  the  expediency  of  such  a  measure  :  and 
if  they  are  of  opinion  that  it  is  expedient  for  them  to  form 
a  new  association  the  present  year  that  they  have  Hberty 
so  to  do." 

The  Missionary  Society  met  in  Brunswick  Oct.  2,  1823. 
At  this  meeting  it  was  voted  that  the  report  of  the 
trustees  should  be  printed  in  the  Waterville  Intelligen- 
cer. The  amount  of  money  in  the  treasurer's  hands  was 
$355.45. 

The  desired  showers  of  blessing  in  Lincoln  Associa- 
tion came.  At  the  meeting  of  the  association  held  in 
Woolwich,  Sept.  15  and  16,  1824,  1st  Nobleboro  church 
reported  131  baptisms,  2d  Nobleboro,  90,  1st  Jefferson,  56, 
and  the  whole  number  reported  by  the  association  was 
547,  making  the  membership  2,921.  It  was  a  season  of 
great  rejoicing  as  the  churches  came  together  in  their 
annual  convocation. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Society, 
held  June  24,  1824,  in  the  house  of  Rev.  Isaac  Case  in 
Readfield,  the  act  of  incorporation,^  passed  Feb.  8,  1823, 

1  CHAPTER  CCIV. 

An  Act  to  incorporate  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Society. 

Sect.  1.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives,  in  Legislature 
assembled.  That  John  Haynes,  Ransom  Norton,  Oliver  Billings,  James  Garcelon,  Cyrus 
Hamlin,  Stephen  Chapin,  Calvin  Stockbridge,  Thomas  B.  Ripley,  together  with  their 
associates  and  successors,  be,  and  they  hereby  are  incorporated  into  a  body  politic,  by  the 
name  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Society  ;  with  power  to  sue  and  be  sued  ;  to  have  a 
common  seal  and  to  change  the  same  ;  to  make  any  by-laws  for  the  management  of  their 
affairs,  not  repugnant  to  the  laws  of  this  State  ;  and  to  take,  hold  and  possess,  any  real 
or  personal  estate  to  the  value  of  fifty  thousand  dollars,  and  to  give  and  grant,  bargain 
and  sell,  or  lease  the  same. 

Sect.  2.  Be  it  further  enacted,  That  the  said  corporation  may  annually  elect  by  ballot, 
by  a  majority  of  the  members  present,  a  president,  vice-president,  secretary,  treasurer, 
and  such  number  of  trustees  as  they  may  think  proper,  not  less  than  seven,  and  such 
other  officers  as  they  may  determine  to  be  necessary ;  and  all  such  officers,  when  chosen, 
may  hold  their  offices  until  others  are  chosen  in  their  stead  ;  and  in  case  of  death,  resig- 
nation or  disability  of  either  of  said  officers,  the  said  corporation  shall  have  a  right  in 
like  manner,  at  any  meeting  regularly  called  for  the  purpose,  or  at  any  meeting  held  by 
adjournment,  as  may  be  most  convenient,  to  fill  any  vacancy  which  may  so  happen. 

Sect.  3.  Be  it  further  enacted,  That  all  deeds,  grants,  covenants  and  agreements  that 
may  be  made  for  and  in  behalf  of  said  corporation  shall  be  executed  under  the  seal  of  the 
same,  and  signed  by  the  president  and  secretary. 

Sect.  4.    Be  it  further  enacted.  That  all  the  estate  of  said  corporation,  both  real  and 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  159 

was  read  and  accepted.  William  Johnson  and  Adam  Wil- 
son were  requested  to  labor  in  the  employ  of  the  society 
until  the  last  week  in  September. 

The  pastors  in  many  of  the  churches  were  now  busily 
engaged  in  reaping  the  harvest  for  which  the  fields  about 
them  were  already  white.  The  additions  by  baptism  to  the 
Bowdoinham  Association,  reported  at  Jay  in  1824,  were 
458,  and  the  whole  number  in  the  association  was  2,894. 
In  the  letter  of  that  year  we  have  the  following  record 
with  reference  to  this  evidence  of  the  presence  of  the 
Spirit  of  God  in  the  churches  at  this  time  :  "In  no  former 
year,  perhaps,  have  there  been  enjoyed  so  many  and  such 
powerful  revivals  of  religion  within  the  bounds  of  this 
association,  as  during  the  year  past.  ...  In  Sidney, 
Readfield,  Winthrop,  Hallowell,  Bowdoin,  Lisbon,  Liver- 
more  and  Jay  the  good  work  of  grace  has  been  truly 
powerful  and  glorious." 

York  Association  did  not  share  in  this  otherwise  general 
prosperity.  The  Corresponding  Letter  for  1824  included 
this  remark  :  "For  several  years  we  have  had  but  little  to 
encourage  us  from  without ;  and  even  now,  dark  clouds 
intercept  the  rays  of  the  sun  of  righteousness."  But 
there  was  unshaken  confidence  in  the  word  and  faithful- 
ness of  Jehovah. 

The  churches  in  the  Lincoln  Association  in  1825  reported 
a  membership  of  3,128.  Many  of  the  churches  found  it 
difficult  on  account  of  the  great  distance  which  the  dele- 
gates must  traverse  to  have  a  representation  at  the  annual 

personal,  shall  be  used  and  improved  to  the  best  advantage,  and  the  annual  income 
thereof,  and  so  much  of  the  principal  as  the  trustees  shall  judge  proper,  together  veith 
the  annual  subscriptions,  donations  and  contributions  which  shall  be  made  to  said  cor- 
poration, shall  be  applied  to  the  sole  use  and  purpose  of  diffusing  Christian  knowledge, 
in  such  manner  as  the  said  corporation  shall  judge  will  best  promote  and  answer  the 
design  of  their  incorporation. 

Sect.  5.  Be  it  further  enacted.  That  the  powers  granted  by  this  Act  may  be  enlarged, 
restrained  or  annulled  at  the  pleasure  of  the  Legislature. 

Sect.  6.  Be  it  further  enacted.  That  the  Rev.  Thomas  B.  Ripley  of  Portland  be,  and 
he  hereby  is  authorized  to  fix  the  time  and  place  of  holding  the  first  meeting  of  said  cor- 
poration, by  publishing  a  notification  thereof  in  two  of  the  newspapers  printed  in  Port- 
land, at  least  three  weeks  successively  before  the  time  of  meeting. 


160  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

associational  meetings.  Evidently  the  time  had  come  for 
a  division  of  the  association,  and  at  the  meeting  of  the 
association  held  at  Nobleborough,  Sept.  22  and  23,  1825,  it 
was  "Voted,  that  the  churches  in  the  north  of  this  asso- 
ciation have  liberty  to  convene  and  form  themselves  into  a 
separate  association  ;  and  such  churches  so  formed  will  be 
considered  dismissed  from  this  association."  A  meeting 
for  the  organization  of  the  association,  to  be  known  as  the 
Penobscot  Association,  was  held  in  January.  The  follow- 
ing churches  comprised  the  Penobscot  Association  as  then 
organized :  Harmony,  Etna  and  Carmel,  Dixmont,  Hamp- 
den, New  Charleston,  Guilford,  Parkman,  Athens,  Dover, 
Ripley,  Corinth,  Corinna,  Sangerville,  Atkinson  and  Dex- 
ter. When  the  association  met  in  New  Charleston  Sept. 
6  and  7, 1826,  the  following  seven  churches  were  received  : 
Frankfort,  North  Hill,  Palmyra,  Newport,  Bangor,  Monroe 
and  Cold  Stream.  Hopefulness  characterized  the  mem- 
bers of  the  churches  who  assembled  at  New  Charleston. 
"But  a  few  years  since,"  reads  the  Corresponding  Letter, 
"this  section  of  our  country  was  the  residence  of  sav- 
age men  and  savage  beasts  ;  but  the  wilderness  has  blos- 
somed as  the  rose."  New  Charleston  reported  the  largest 
membership  of  the  churches  in  the  association,  namely, 
seventy-seven.  Parkman  was  next,  with  a  membership  of 
seventy-two,  while  Bangor  had  a  membership  of  twenty- 
five. 

There  were  now  five  associations  in  the  State,  York, 
Bowdoinham,  Lincoln,  Cumberland  and  Eastern  Maine. 
These  comprised  one  hundred  and  ninety  churches  with  a 
membership  of  11,519.  According  to  an  address  by  Rev. 
Adam  Wilson  at  the  meeting  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Con- 
vention at  Nobleborough,  June  22,  1825,  more  than  one- 
third  of  these  churches  were  destitute  of  pastors.  Many 
of  them  were  small  and  unable  to  support  pastors.  But 
the  missionary  spirit  was  still  strong  in  the  membership  of 
these  churches  and  the  regular  ministrations  of  the  gospel 
were  easily  supplied. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 
Associations  in  1825. 


161 


York. 

Bowdoinham  •  ■ 

Lincoln 

Cumberland  . .  • 
Eastern  Maine 


03 
0) 

i 

^ 

o 

■fj 

S 

T3 

X 

-o 

O 

<5 

16 
41 
31 

17 
16 


28 
52 
54 
30 
26 


28 
497 
184 
280 
206 


60 
61 

77 
45 
73 


17 
59 
73 
13 
13 


26 
32 
29 
25 
10 


a 


1292 
3331 
3128 
2171 
1597 


121  '  190  '  1195  '  316   175   122  '  11519 


12 


CHAPTER  XI. 


Educational  Beginnings. 

The  educational  work  of  the  Baptists  in  Maine  had  its 
beginning  in  the  opening  years  of  the  nineteenth  century. 
Before  this  time  these  hardy  pioneers  had  been  engaged  in 
making  homes  for  themselves,  very  largely  in  the  wilder- 
ness, and  also  in  providing  such  houses  of  worship  as  they 
were  able  to  build.  But  they  were  not  unmindful  of  the 
need  of  educational  advantages  for  their  children.  There 
was  a  law  establishing  grammar  schools  in  towns  having 
more  than  one  hundred  families,  but  as  so  few  of  the  set- 
tlements in  the  District  of  Maine  had  that  population  prior 
to  1800  the  law  was  largely  inoperative.  Here  and  there 
accordingly  academies  were  established  in  the  decade  pre- 
ceding the  opening  of  the  century :  Hallowell  Academy, 
in  1791 ;  Berwick  Academy,  in  1791 ;  Fryeburg  Academy, 
in  1792 ;  Washington  Academy,  at  Machias,  in  1792,  and 
Portland  Academy,  in  1794. 

In  the  first  year  of  the  new  century  the  people  in 
Hebron  and  some  of  the  adjoining  towns  had  become  so 
numerous  that  the  establishment  of  an  academy  was  agi- 
tated. Prominent  in  this  movement  were  William  Bar- 
rows, a  deacon  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Hebron,  and 
Rev.  John  Tripp,  the  pastor  of  the  church.  Through  the 
efforts  of  Deacon  Barrows,  a  building  for  the  academy  was 
erected  in  1803,  and  application  was  made  to  the  General 
Court  of  Massachusetts  for  a  charter.  The  charter  was 
granted  Feb.  10,  1804.  The  original  incorporators  were 
John  Tripp ;  Rev.  James  Hooper,  the  somewhat  eccentric 
pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Paris ;  Samuel  Parris  of 
Hebron,  and  the  father  of  Gov.  Albion  K.  Parris  ;  Ezekiel 
Whitman  of  New  Gloucester,  a  young  lawyer,  afterward 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  163 

Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Maine ;  Dr.  Cyrus 
Hamlin  of  Paris,  clerk  of  the  court ;  John  Greenwood  of 
Hebron,  a  local  magistrate,  and  a  man  of  character  and 
reputation  in  the  community  ;  Dr.  Luther  Cary  of  Turner, 
who  served  as  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  State 
Senator  and  Representative  for  many  years ;  Jesse  Rice, 
the  first  practicing  physician  in  Minot,  and  William  Bar- 
rows, who  was  so  largely  instrumental  in  the  establish- 
ment of  the  academy.^ 

The  corporation  met  for  organization  June  6,  1804.  The 
charter  was  accepted  and  two  committees  were  appointed, 
one,  consisting  of  Messrs.  Hamlin,  Cary  and  Hooper,  "to 
solicit  donations  for  the  academy,"  and  the  other,  consist- 
ing of  Messrs.  Whitman,  Cary  and  Rice,  "to  form  rules 
and  regulations  for  this  academy."  John  Greenwood  was 
elected  president  of  the  corporation,  and  continued  to  act 
in  that  capacity  until  his  death,  April  6,  1807.  Rev.  John 
Tripp  was  elected  clerk,  and  held  that  office  until  his 
death,  Sept.  16,  1847.  Dea.  William  Barrows  was  elected 
treasurer,  and  served  the  corporation  in  that  office  until 
his  resignation  in  1828,  retaining  his  place  on  the  board  of 
trustees  until  his  death,  Nov.  22,  1837. 

July  1,  1805,  rules  were  adopted  for  the  government 
of  the  academy.^    September  2d,  the  academy  building, 

'  "We  remember  that  deacon  when  he  had  become  an  old  man— we  remember  his  bald 
head  and  whitened  locks.  We  remember  well  the  traces  of  firmness  and  kindness,  of 
wisdom  and  benevolence  in  his  noble  countenance.  Even  now  we  seem  almost  to  hear 
his  well-known  voice,  and  to  listen  to  his  words  of  good  sense  and  piety,  as  they  were 
wont  to  flow  from  his  lips."  Dr.  Adam  Wilson's  address  at  the  semi-centennial  celebra- 
tion of  Hebron  Academy,  Sept.  5,  1855. 

*  The  8th  and  12th  were  as  follows : 

"8.  The  following  books  are  to  be  used  in  the  course  of  education,  viz.,  in  the  morning 
and  evening  before  prayers  the  Holy  Bible ;  at  other  times  the  Beauties  of  the  Bible, 
Columbian  Orator,  Webster's  3rd  part,  Welch's  Arithmetic,  Morse's  Geography,  Mur- 
ray's or  Alexander's  English  Grammar,  and  such  Greek  and  Latin  authors  as  students 
are  usually  examined  in  to  obtain  admission  at  the  universities. 

"12.  It  shall  particularly  be  the  duty  of  the  preceptor  to  endeavor  to  impress  upon  the 
minds  of  his  pupils  a  sense  of  the  being  and  attributes  of  God,  and  of  His  superintending 
and  all-wise  Providence,  and  of  their  constant  dependence  upon  and  obligations  to  Him, 
and  their  duty  at  all  times  to  love,  serve  and  obey  Him,  and  to  pray  to  Him.  And  to 
inculcate  the  doctrine  of  the  Christian  religion  regularly  and  at  stated  times  at  least  as 
often  as  once  a  week.  And  also  instill  into  their  minds  the  whole  circle  of  social  duties, 
love,  respect,  and  obedience  to  parents,  esteem  and  respect  to  superiors,  and  politeness 


164  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

erected  by  the  donations  of  the  people  in  1803,  was  dedi- 
cated. Rev.  John  Tripp  preached  the  sermon  and  Zacha- 
riah  Soule,  a  brilHant  young  lawyer  of  Paris,  delivered  the 
oration.  This  was  the  first  public  building  in  the  town, 
and  was  designed  for  use  as  a  meeting-house  and  a  school- 
house.  "It  was  of  wood,  one  story,  yet  towering  in  its 
height  somewhat  above  the  one-story  buildings  in  its  vicin- 
ity. Near  the  centre  of  the  house  was  one  chimney,  with 
a  fireplace  on  each  side.  Front  of  the  chimney  was  an 
entry,  and  back  of  it  were  folding  doors.  When  these 
doors  were  closed  we  had  two  good  rooms  for  study  and 
recitation ;  when  the  doors  were  open,  all  was  one  hall 
for  declamation,  and  on  the  Sabbath,  one  sanctuary  for 
worship."^ 

The  building  and  land  were  valued  at  that  time  at 
$1,400.  Mr.  Joseph  Barrows,  a  brother  of  Dea.  William 
Barrows,  gave  the  land,  while  the  cost  of  the  building 
was  divided  into  seventy  shares,  which  were  taken  by 
the  people  in  that  vicinity.  Deacon  Barrows  took  twenty- 
one  shares,  and  accordingly  paid  almost  one-third  of  the 
cost  of  the  building.^ 

The  academy  was  opened  Sept.  3,  1805,  under  the 
charge  of  William  Barrows,  Jr.,  son  of  the  deacon,  and 
then  a  senior  in  Dartmouth  College.^    Bezaleel  Cushman, 

and  condescension  to  all  men.  And  also  the  beauty  and  excellency  of  truth,  justice, 
honesty,  fidelity,  and  every  principle  of  morality,  and  the  superior  advantage  of  regialat- 
ing  and  governing  their  conduct  thereby.  And  also  to  caution  and  warn  thefe  against 
the  vices  of  Sabbath-breaking,  profane  swearing,  lying,  stealing,  quarreling,  gaming, 
cruelty  to  the  brute  creation,  and  all  manner  of  indecency  and  wickedness  whether  in 
word  or  behaviour." 

*  Rev.  Adam  Wilson's  address  at  the  semi-centennial  celebration  of  Hebron  Academy, 
Sept.  5,  1855. 

*  Hon.  Percival  Bonney  in  the  Hebron  Semester  for  November,  1891. 

^  Mr.  Barrows  returned  to  college  at  the  close  of  the  term,  and  on  his  graduation,  in  the 
summer  of  1806,  he  again  assumed  charge  of  the  academy,  continuing  the  relation 
through  the  year  1808.  "After  teaching  at  Fryeburg,  he  was  again  principal  at  Hebron 
for  two  years  from  A^ugust,  1812.  He  was  not  long  after  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  began 
the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Yarmouth,  Maine,  where  he  died  Nov.  18,  1821,  at  the 
age  of  thirty-seven  years,  leaving  three  daughters  and  one  son,  Hon.  William  Griswold 
Barrows,  whose  distinguished  services  on  the  Supreme  Bench  of  Maine,  and  other 
departments  are  well  known."  Hon.  Percival  Bonney  in  Hebron  Semester,  November, 
1891,  pp.  12,  13. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  165 

a  native  of  Hebron,  who  was  graduated  at  Dartmouth  in 
1811,  and  was  for  many  years  principal  of  Portland  Acad- 
emy, was  his  assistant  teacher.  The  students,  who  were 
from  Hebron  and  nearly  all  the  neighboring-  towns,  were 
of  both  sexes  and  between  sixty  and  seventy  in  number. 

"The  General  Court  of  Massachusetts  was  willing  to 
aid  the  young  institution,  as  was  and  has  ever  been  the 
policy  of  the  State,  but  would  not  make  any  grant  until 
the  people  in  the  vicinity  showed  some  interest  in  the 
enterprise.  Thereupon  Deacon  Barrows  at  once  began 
the  work  of  securing  subscriptions,  $3,000  being  required. 
The  full  sum  not  being  in  hand  within  the  limited  time,  he 
became  personally  responsible  for  the  balance.  In  1807, 
through  his  efforts,  aided  by  William  C.  Whitney,  Esq., 
then  a  representative  to  the  General  Court,  a  grant  of 
11,500  acres  of  land  was  made,  and  the  same  was  after- 
ward located  by  him  in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Monson. 
This  land  was  surveyed  and  divided  into  lots  of  1,000  acres 
each,  and  offered  for  sale  at  50  cts.  per  acre.  Ten  lots 
were  sold  at  once,  thus  producing  a  fund  of  $5,000.  In  the 
same  year  Andrew  Craigie  gave  150  acres  of  land,  valued 
at  $800.  Mr.  Craigie  was  a  large  land-owner  in  the  town. 
William  C.  Whitney,  Esq.,  was  his  agent,  and  it  was 
doubtless  through  his  influence  that  the  generous  gift  was 
made."^ 

The  academy  continued  its  work  with  frequent  changes 
of  preceptors.  In  1819,  in  the  early  part  of  the  year,  the 
academy  building  was  destroyed  by  fire.  Deacon  Barrows 
was  at  once  appointed  '  'to  solicit  donations  for  rebuilding 
the  academy  upon  the  same  spot  where  the  other  stood. ' ' 
It  was  decided  now  to  discontinue  the  joint  use  of  the 
new  building  by  the  church  and  the  academy,  and  the 
trustees  voted  in  June,  1819,  "that  William  C.  Whitney  be 
authorized  to  agree  with  the  proprietors  of  the  meeting- 
house proposed  to  be  built  in  this  vicinity,  upon  what  con- 
ditions the  board  will  let  them  have  land  to  build  said 
proposed  meeting-house  upon. "    The  church  building  was 

*  Hon.  Percival  Bonney  in  Hebron  Semester,  November,  1891,  p.  13. 


166  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

erected  the  next  year,  and  is  still  standing,  but  was  remod- 
eled in  1892. 

The  burning  of  the  academy  building  was  the  occasion 
of  an  agitation  in  some  of  the  neighboring  towns  for  the 
removal  of  the  institution.  At  the  annual  meeting  of  the 
trustees,  in  June,  1819,  there  was  a  request  of  Capt.  Wil- 
liam Lowell  and  others  to  have  the  academy  removed  and 
erected  near  Bridgham's  Mills,  so-called,  to  which  the  trus- 
tees replied  that  it  was  not  contemplated  to  remove  the 
academy,  and  that  they  could  not  attend  to  requests  of 
that  nature.  But  agitation  continued,  and  at  a  meeting 
of  the  trustees  held  Dec.  14,  1819,  Mr.  Stephen  Emery  of 
Paris  appeared  and  urged  the  removal  of  the  academy  to 
that  place.  The  proposition  fell  upon  the  ears  of  the  ven- 
erable Dea.  William  Barrows  like  a  peal  of  thunder,  and 
for  a  full  hour  he  addressed  the  trustees,  tracing  the  gen- 
eral history  of  the  two  towns,  the  one  rich,  the  other 
poor,  and  setting  forth  the  sacrifices  Hebron  had  made  in 
founding  the  academy.  "By  daylight  and  by  starlight" 
said  the  deacon,  "they  had  toiled  and  succeeded.  .  .  . 
And  now  the  purse-proud  people  of  Paris,  taking  advan- 
tage of  their  misfortune,  had  come  down  to  steal  away  this 
'little  ewe  lamb,  that  they  had  nourished  in  their  bosoms, ' 
the  offspring  of  their  prayers  and  tears  and  toils. "  When 
the  deacon  closed  the  question  of  location  was  settled,  and 
nothing  more  was  said  in  favor  of  removal.^ 

The  question  of  location  having  been  settled  and  the 
necessary  funds  having  been  secured,  work  upon  the  new 
building  was  commenced.  It  was  built  of  brick,  two 
stories  high,  one  room  on  each  floor,  and  was  ready  for 
use  at  the  beginning  of  the  spring  term  in  1821. 

Although  the  establishment  of  Hebron  Academy  was 
due  to  local  influences,  it  was  not  long  before  a  genuine 
conviction  in  the  hearts  of  some  of  the  Baptists  of  Maine 
with  reference  to  higher  education  began  to  find  expres- 
sion.    In  a  Circular  Letter  prepared  for  the  Bowdoinham 

*  Address  of  Mr.  Stephen  Emery  at  the  semi-centennial  of  Hebron  Academy,  Sept,  5, 
1855. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  167 

Association,  and  read  Sept.  23,  1807,  Rev.  Sylvanus  Board- 
man  referred  to  the  "ministers  of  Christ,  pressed  with 
the  weight  of  their  own  infirmities  and  trials  from  a 
view  of  their  own  insufficiency  to  the  discharge  of  their 
office,  perhaps  laboring  under  many  inconveniences  from 
their  own  ignorance  and  want  of  education,  not  under- 
standing their  mother-tongue, "  and  compelled  "to  devote 
their  time  to  study,  even  to  obtain  a  competent  knowl- 
edge of  the  English  language,  sufficient  to  qualify  them  to 
acquire  knowledge  in  logic,  mathematics  or  philosophy." 

First  of  all  facilities  for  the  better  education  of  minis- 
ters must  be  provided.  The  matter  began  to  be  discussed, 
and  then  the  question  of  means  came  under  consideration. 
At  the  meeting  of  the  Bowdoinham  Association  held  at 
Livermore,  Sept.  26  and  27,  1810,  this  action  was  taken : 
"It  being  in  contemplation  to  establish  an  institution  in 
the  District  of  Maine  for  the  purpose  of  promoting  liter- 
ary and  theological  knowledge.  Brethren  Blood,  Boardman, 
Merrill,  Titcomb  and  Tripp  were  appointed  a  committee 
to  take  into  consideration  the  propriety  of  petitioning  the 
General  Court  for  incorporation,  &c."  This  committee 
suggested  to  the  association  the  propriety  of  appointing  a 
committee  "to  digest  the  subject  systematically,  in  con- 
cert with  brethren  from  Lincoln  Association,  and  report 
thereon  at  the  next  annual  meeting,"  and  Elders  Blood, 
Low  and  Boardman  were  appointed  for  this  purpose.  It 
was  also  voted  to  recommend  to  the  churches  in  the  asso- 
ciation "to  endeavor  to  obtain  subscriptions  to  promote 
the  proposed  institution,"  and  to  forward  the  same  to  this 
committee. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Bowdoinham  Association  at  Read- 
field,  Sept.  26,  1811,  the  matter  was  again  before  that 
body,  probably  by  report  of  the  committee  appointed  the 
previous  year,  and  "Brethren  Low,  Francis,  Billings,  Kill- 
gore,  Palmer,  Swett  and  Robinson  were  appointed  a  com- 
mittee to  petition  the  General  Court,  with  such  as  may 
join  them  from  the  Lincoln  and  Cumberland  Associa- 
tions." 


168  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

Lincoln  Association,  at  its  meeting  at  Woolwich,  Sept. 
19,  1811,  "Voted  to  appoint  the  following  brethren  a  com- 
mittee to  sign  the  petition  to  the  Legislature,  viz.  :  Daniel 
Merrill,  Samuel  Baker,  Joseph  Bailey,  Samuel  Stinson, 
Hezekiah  Prince  and  Benja.  Burton." 

The  Cumberland  Association,  at  a  meeting  at  North 
Yarmouth,  Oct.  3,  1811,  appointed  a  committee  of  seven 
for  the  same  purpose,  viz.  :  Caleb  Blood,  Thomas  Green, 
Sylvanus  Boardman,  Benjamin  Titcomb,  John  Haynes, 
Ransom  Norton,  and  Dea.  Thomas  Beck.  Rev.  Caleb 
Blood  was  appointed  to  present  the  petition  to  the  Legis- 
lature. Mr.  Blood  doubtless  gave  early  and  earnest  atten- 
tion to  the  business  entrusted  to  him,  but  he  failed  to 
obtain  the  desired  charter.  Early  in  1813,  Rev.  Daniel 
Merrill  of  Sedgwick,  who  was  deeply  interested  in  the 
proposed  undertaking,  went  to  Boston  and  devoted  himself 
to  the  task  of  securing  the  desired  action  on  the  part  of 
the  General  Court.  He  found  there  many  adversaries. 
When  at  length  the  matter  came  before  the  General 
Court,  as  Mr.  Merrill  wrote  to  his  wife  Feb.  21,  1813, 
"The  opposers  of  our  King  formed  themselves  in  battle 
array.  Their  most  eloquent  orators  came  forward  in  their 
might.  One  infidel  doctor,  one  Babylonish  minister,  three 
lawyers  and  one  judge,  with  I  know  not  how  many  others, 
spoke  in  opposition.  One  pious  doctor,  two  respectable 
lawyers  and  many  pious  souls,  by  their  prayers  helped." 

Mr.  Merrill's  efforts  were  crowned  with  success.  The 
Senate  Committee,  of  which  Hon.  John  Phillips  was  chair- 
man, reported  Feb.  19,  1813,  leave  to  bring  in  a  bill.  The 
bill  was  introduced,  and  after  the  adoption  of  trifling 
amendments  it  was  passed,  and  the  Governor  added  his 
approval  Feb.  27,  1813. 

Concerning  the  persons  mentioned  in  the  act  of  incor- 
poration. Dr.  Champlin  says:  "Daniel  Merrill,  formerly  a 
Congregational  minister,  was  at  this  time  pastor  of  the 
Baptist  church  in  Sedgwick ;  Caleb  Blood  was  pastor  of 
the  Federal  St.  Baptist  church  in  Portland ;  Sylvanus 
Boardman  was  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  at  North  Yar- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  169 

mouth,  and  Thomas  Green  had  been  a  former  pastor  of 
the  same  church  and  was  still  residing  there  ;  Robert  Low 
was  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Readfield ;  Benjamin 
Titcomb,  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Brunswick ; 
Thomas  Francis,  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Leeds ; 
Ransom  Norton,  pastor  of  the  Second  Baptist  church  in 
Livermore ;  Daniel  McMasters,  pastor  of  the  Baptist 
church  in  Sullivan  ;  Samuel  Stinson,  pastor  of  the  Baptist 
church  in  Woolwich ;  John  Haynes,  pastor  of  the  First 
Baptist  church  in  Livermore ;  Samuel  Baker,  associate 
pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Thomaston  ;  Joseph  Bailey, 
pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Ballstown,  now  Whitefield  ; 
Phinehas  Pilsbury,  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Noble- 
borough.  Of  the  other  corporators,  Alford  Richardson 
was  a  prominent  member  of  the  Federal  St.  Baptist 
church  of  Portland ;  John  Neal,  a  member  of  the  Second 
Baptist  church  in  Litchfield  ;  Moses  Dennett,  a  member  of 
the  Second  Baptist  church  in  Bowdoin  ;  John  Hovey,  a 
member  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Mt.  Vernon  ;  David  Nel- 
son, a  member  of  the  Baptist  church  in  New  Gloucester ; 
the  Hon.  James  Campbell,  better  known  as  Judge  Camp- 
bell, a  prominent  member  of  the  First  Baptist  church  in 
Cherryfield,  and  Hezekiah  Prince,  a  member  of  the  Bap- 
tist church  in  Thomaston."^ 

The  institution  thus  established  was  restricted  in  its 
location  to  the  '  'township  of  land  six  miles  square,  to  be 
laid  out  and  assigned  from  any  of  the  unappropriated 
lands"  of  the  district.  The  township  selected  was  on  the 
west  side  of  the  Penobscot  river,  constituting  now  the 
towns  of  Alton  and  Argyle,  about  fifteen  miles  north  of 
Bangor.  '  'It  proved  an  excellent  territory  for  timber,  and 
the  institution  in  process  of  time  realized  a  very  handsome 
sum  from  it,"  says  Dr.  Champlin.  "But  the  very  excel- 
lence of  the  township  for  timber  unfitted  it,  of  course,  for 
the  location  of  a  school.  Even  common  schools  have  not 
long  been  established  in  that  township,  much  less  could 
a  theological  school   have   been   established   there.     The 

*  Historical  Discourse  at  the  Fiftieth  Anniversary  of  Colby  University,  pp.  14,  15. 


170  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

restriction  was  indeed  a  sin^lar  one,  and  one  cannot  help 
suspecting  that  it  was  a  cunning  device  to  defeat  the 
whole  project,  or,  at  least,  to  secure  in  this  case,  as 
formerly,  that  if  the  voice  of  John  the  Baptist  must  be 
heard  at  all,  it  should  be  heard  only  'crying  in  the  wilder- 
ness.' "^  But  the  friends  of  the  new  institution  believed 
that  sooner  or  later  this  restriction  would  be  removed,  and 
they  at  length  presented  a  petition  to  the  General  Court  of 
Massachusetts  asking  for  its  removal.  The  petition  was 
granted,  and  by  an  act  approved  June  15,  1816,  the  corpo- 
rators were  empowered  "to  locate  and  establish  their 
buildings  in  any  town  within  the  counties  of  Kennebec  or 
Somerset." 

The  value  of  an  educational  institution  in  a  new  and 
growing  community  v/as  recognized,  and  several  towns 
were  desirous  of  securing  the  prize.  At  a  meeting  of  the 
corporation  in  the  year  following  the  passage  of  the 
supplementary  act  of  1816,  a  committee  was  appointed  '  'to 
visit  those  towns  which  had  used  their  efforts  and  given 
encouragement  to  have  the  institution  located  with  them, 
viz.,  Farmington,  Bloomfield  and  Waterville,  and  report 
at  the  next  meeting."  This  committee  reported  in  favor 
of  Bloomfield,  but  for  some  reason  not  fully  explained^  in 
the  records,  the  trustees  at  a  meeting  held  in  Bath,  Oct.  1, 
1817,  voted  to  establish  the  institution  at  Waterville. 

At  the  same  meeting  of  the  board  in  which  this  action 
was  taken,  a  committee  was  appointed  to  select  a  site  in 
Waterville  for  the  proposed  institution,  and  another  com- 
mittee to  report  candidates  for  professorships  at  the  next 
meeting  in  February,  1818.  The  plot  purchased  was  the 
so-called  Vaughan  lot,   eighty-six  rods  wide,   extending 

^  President  Champlin's  Historical  Discourse  at  the  Fiftieth  Anniversary  of  Colby  Uni- 
versity, Aug.  2,  1870,  p.  4. 

'  "Possibly,"  says  Dr.  Champlin,  "this  action  may  have  been  in  consequence  of  larger 
sums  having  been  pledged  by  Waterville  than  by  the  other  towns.  These,  however,  we 
should  not  consider  at  the  present  day  anything  very  alarming.  The  town,  as  a  corpora- 
tion, pledged,  but  on  account  of  legal  objections  never  paid,  three  thousand  dollars, 
while  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  and  vicinity  subscribed  two  thousand  dollars  for  the 
benefit  of  the  institution,  in  case  it  was  established  at  Waterville."  Semi-Centennial 
Discourse,  pp.  4,  5. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  171 

from  the  Kennebec  to  the  Emerson  stream,  and  contain- 
ing one  hundred  and  seventy-nine  acres.  This  was  bought 
in  1818  of  R.  H.  Gardiner  for  $1,797.50.' 

The  committee  on  candidates  for  professorships  reported 
the  names  of  Rev.  Jeremiah  Chaplin  of  Dan  vers,  Mass., 
for  professor  of  theology  and  Rev.  Irah  Chase  of  Westford, 
Vt.,  for  professor  of  languages.  They  were  accordingly 
elected,  and  it  was  provided  that  instruction  in  the  insti- 
tution should  commence  May  1,  1818.  Rev.  Irah  Chase 
declined  his  appointment.  Upon  Mr.  Chaplin,  therefore,  — 
as  no  other  appointment  was  made,— devolved  the  ardu- 
ous task  of  laying  the  foundations  of  this  new  educa- 
tional enterprise."  Mr.  Chaplin  was  graduated  at  Brown 
University  with  the  highest  honors  of  the  class  of  1799, 
and  for  two  years  was  a  tutor  at  Brown.  He  then  studied 
theology  with  Rev.  Thomas  Baldwin  of  Boston,  and  in 
1802,  or  1803,  became  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Dan- 
vers,  Mass.  Here  he  remained  until  1818,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  a  year  spent  in  New  York,  in  1804,  as  pastor  of 
the  First  Baptist  church. 

In  accordance  with  a  custom  of  the  times  with  clergy- 
men, Mr.  Chaplin  received  each  year  into  his  family  at 
Danvers  promising  young  men  preparing  for  the  Chris- 
tian ministry.  He  gave  them  instruction,  and  they  in 
turn  aided  him  in  his  pastoral  work.  Two  of  Mr.  Chap- 
lin's students  at  Danvers,  James  Colman  and  Edward  W. 
Wheelock,  whose  names  have  long  been  familiar  in  Baptist 
missionary  annals,  were  among  the  first  to  respond  to  Jud- 
son's  appeal  for  helpers  in  the  great  task  on  which  he  had 
entered.     During  his  Danvers  pastorate  Mr.  Chaplin  was 

'  The  south  line  of  this  lot  was  not  far  from  the  present  site  of  Memorial  Hall.  After- 
wards the  college  purchased  of  Prof.  Chapin,  for  $2,500,  the  Professor  Briggs  estate, 
lying  immediately  south  of  the  original  purchase. 

'  He  was  of  Puritan  stock.  His  emigrant  ancestor,  Hugh  Chaplin,  came  with  his  wife 
to  New  England  in  1638,  with  sixty  families  led  thither  by  Rev.  Ezekiel  Rogers,  who 
settled  about  thirty-five  miles  from  Boston  at  a  place  to  which  they  gave  the  name 
Rowley,  after  the  town  in  England  from  which  they  came.  In  their  church  relations 
Hugh  Chaplin  and  his  descendants  were  of  the  "Standing  Order,"  until  Asa  Chaplin, 
father  of  Jeremiah,  united  with  the  Baptist  church  established  in  Rowley,  now  George- 
town, in  1781,  as  a  branch  of  the  church  in  Haverhill. 


172  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

engaged  in  the  study  of  the  Hebrew  language,  a  task  of 
no  Httle  difficulty  without  an  instructor.  He  purchased 
the  best  helps  that  then  could  be  obtained.  This  he  did 
also  in  his  study  of  the  New  Testament.  Indeed,  his 
was  about  the  first  serious  attempt  at  biblical  exegesis 
among  the  Baptists  of  this  country.  Butler's  Analogy  and 
Edwards  on  The  Will  were  favorite  books  with  him.  He 
was  also  a  diligent  student  of  the  works  of  Hopkins  and 
other  New  England  divines. 

Very  naturally,  therefore,  the  trustees  of  the  Maine  Lit- 
erary and  Theological  Institution  at  Waterville  turned  to 
Mr.  Chaplin  as  the  one  pre-eminently  qualified  to  take 
charge  of  its  important  interests.  Yet  at  first  he  was 
quite  decided  in  his  purpose  not  to  accept  the  appoint- 
ment. His  health,  he  thought,  would  not  warrant  his 
acceptance  of  such  a  task.  But  those  who  had  selected 
him  for  it  were  unwilling  to  accept  his  refusal.  A  further 
representation  of  the  importance  of  the  undertaking  was 
made  to  him,  and  not  long  after  he  yielded  to  the  wishes 
of  the  trustees,  and  entreated  the  Lord  to  grant  him  as  a 
privilege  what  he  had  shortly  before  regarded  as  a  most 
painful  trial. 

In  the  latter  part  of  June,  1818,  Mr.  Chaplin  removed 
his  family  to  Waterville.  Several  of  his  theological  stu- 
dents accompanied  him.  The  party  sailed  from  Salem, 
Mass. ,  on  Saturday,  June  20th,  and  reached  Waterville  on 
the  following  Wednesday.^  Waterville,  then,  had  only  a 
few  hundred  inhabitants,  but  situated  at  the  head  of  navi- 
gation it  already  had  considerable  trade.  No  church  had 
as  yet  been  organized  in  the  place,  and  there  was  no 
meeting-house  in  the  village  except  a  shabby,  unfinished 
building  which  was  used  for  town  meetings. 

^  In  her  journal,  Mrs.  Chaplin  has  left  an  interesting  account  of  this  journey.  They 
entered  the  Kennebec  river  Sunday  forenoon  at  ten  o'clock.  At  twelve  they  were  at 
Bath.  "After  we  left  Bath,  we  set  sail  for  Gardiner,  but  the  wind  losing  its  breath,  the 
anchor  was  cast  and  we  stopped  seven  miles  this  side.  The  heat  was  so  oppressive,  the 
vessel  so  small,  and  the  children  so  uneasy,  it  was  not  thought  expedient  to  have  public 
worship  until  the  cool  of  the  day.  We  drank  tea  early,  then  took  the  boat  and  went 
on  shore.    The  right  hand  side  was  in  the  town  of  Dresden,  and  the  left  in  Bowdoinham. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  173 

The  work  of  instruction  was  soon  commenced  in  the 
Wood  house,  Mr.  Chaplin's  temporary  home,  at  the  junc- 
tion of  College  and  Main  streets,  where  now  is  the 
Elmwood  Hotel.  Here  the  institution  remained  until  the 
completion,  at  the  close  of  1819,  or  early  in  1820,  of  Mr. 
Chaplin's  residence  on  the  present  site  of  Memorial  Hall. 

In  1820,  the  District  of  Maine  became  an  independent 
State,  and  June  19th  of  that  year,  at  the  first  meeting  of 
the  Legislature,  an  act  was  passed  enlarging  the  powers 
of  the  new  institution  at  Waterville,  authorizing  the  presi- 
dent and  trustees  '  'to  confer  such  degrees  as  are  usually 
conferred  by  universities  established  for  the  education  of 
youth,"  provided  that  "no  degrees  other  than  those  of 
Bachelor  of  Arts  and  Master  of  Arts  should  be  conferred 
until  after  Jan.  1,  1830,  and  provided  also  that  the  corpo- 
ration should  make  no  rule  or  by-law  requiring  that  any 
member  of  the  trustees  shall  be  of  any  particular  religious 
denomination.  June  28,  1820,  it  was  also  enacted  "That 
the  sum  of  one  thousand  dollars  annually  be,  and  hereby  is 
granted  to  the  Maine  Literary  and  Theological  Institution 
from  and  after  the  fourteenth  day  of  February,  which 
shall  be  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hun- 
dred and  twenty-one,  for  the  term  of  seven  years,  to  be 
paid  out  of  the  treasury  of  this  State."  It  was  also  pro- 
vided that  this  appropriation  should  be  paid  "from  mon- 
eys arising  from  the  tax  on  certain  banks  not  otherwise 
appropriated."^ 

It  was  on  the  latter  that  we  landed.  The  scene  was  calculated  to  excite  devotional  feel- 
ings, and  reminded  me  of  those  interesting  lines  of  a  celebrated  poet, 

'The  calm  retreat,  the  silent  shade. 

With  prayer  and  praise  agree. 
And  seem  by  thy  sweet  bounty  made 
For  those  who  follow  thee.' 

The  meeting  was  opened  and  closed  with  prayer.  Mr.  Chaplin  and  Mr.  Dillaway  spoke 
from  Psalms  10  :  7.  Our  congregation  was  small.  It  only  consisted  of  Mr.  Chaplin,  with 
those  who  accompanied  us,  and  the  mate  of  the  vessel." 

'  This  grant  was  continued  seven  years.  The  college  had  received  a  township  of  land 
from  Massachusetts,  and  many  years  subsequently  it  received  from  Maine  two  half 
townships  of  land.  These,  with  some  other  annuities,  amounted  in  value  to  $14,000. 
Bowdoin  College  received  eight  townships  of  land  and  $18,000  in  money  from  Massachu- 
setts, in  all  about  $54,000,  besides  considerable  land  from  Maine.    The  trustees  in  ISIS 


174  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

Efforts  were  also  made  to  enlist  the  aid  of  the  churches 
in  promoting  the  welfare  of  the  institution.  At  a  meeting 
of  the  Bowdoinham  Association  held  in  Bowdoin,  Sept.  23 
and  24,  1818,  the  association  recommended  to  the  churches 
"the  propriety  of  forming  societies  for  the  purpose  of 
aiding  the  theological  school  lately  established  in  Water- 
ville ;  and  our  messengers  to  corresponding  associations 
are  instructed  to  use  their  influence  to  engage  those  asso- 
ciations to  adopt  similar  measures."  A  committee  also 
was  appointed  to  assist  the  churches  in  forming  these 
societies.  Cumberland  Association,  at  its  meeting  in  Paris 
Sept.  30,  1819,  added  its  endorsement  to  the  proposal  for 
the  formation  of  societies  to  promote  the  interest  of  the 
institution.^ 

Feb.  5,  1821,  an  act  was  passed  by  the  Legislature  of 
Maine  changing  the  name  of  the  Maine  Literary  and  Theo- 
logical Institution  to  that  of  Waterville  College.  The  rea- 
sons for  thus  giving  to  the  institution  a  broader  character 
than  was  at  first  contemplated  were  not  recorded,  and  can 
now  only  be  conjectured.  In  all  probability  the  change 
was  effected  by  Dr.  Chaplin.  A  college  graduate,  he  knew 
the  value  of  a  collegiate  course  as  a  preparation  for  theo- 
logical study,  and  he  could  not  have  been  long  in  coming 
to  the  conclusion  that  the  work  he  had  been  called  to 
do  at  Waterville  could  best  be  performed  by  giving  to 
the  institution  a  collegiate  character.  There  were  those 
among  the  trustees  who  deprecated  the  change,  and  in 

sought  from  the  Legislature  of  Massachusetts  additional  aid,  and  Hon.  William  King,  one 
of  the  trustees,  having  brought  the  matter  before  that  body,  procured  a  bill  from  a  com- 
mittee, providing  a  very  handsome  endowment  for  the  institution,  and  there  was  a  good 
prospect  of  its  passage.  But  he  was  met  by  the  statement  of  Gen.  Alford  Richardson, 
another  of  the  trustees  and  a  member  of  the  First  Baptist  church  in  Portland,  that  cer- 
tain petitions  presented  were  without  the  authority  and  consent  of  the  trustees.  The 
bill  was  defeated  by  this  statement.  Probably,  as  Dr.  Champlin  suggests,  political 
rivalry  was  the  occasion  of  Mr.  Richardson's  action.  See  Dr.  Champlin's  Semi-Centen- 
nial  Discourse,  pp.  17-19. 

*The  interest  taken  by  the  churches  in  the  work  at  Waterville  is  indicated  by  the  fol- 
lowing vote  passed  at  the  meeting  of  the  Bowdoinham  Association  at  its  meeting  in 
Bloomfield,  Sept.  23,  1819 :  "Understanding  that  the  trustees  of  the  Maine  Literary  and 
Theological  Institution  are  about  to  erect  a  large  building  for  the  use  of  that  seminary, 
Resolved,  That  we  recommend  to  the  churches  composing  this  association  to  use  their 
best  endeavors  to  assist  the  said  trustees  in  this  arduous  undertaking." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  175 

many  parts  of  the  State,  among  the  churches  and  min- 
isters, there  was  not  a  little  disappointment.  The  late 
President  Champlin  regarded  the  change  so  early  in  the 
history  of  the  institution  as  a  great  mistake.  "Had  the 
institution,"  he  said,  "retained  its  original  and  more  pop- 
ular form  till  the  affections  of  the  denomination  had 
crystallized  around  it,  and  the  denomination  itself  had 
withal  grown  up  so  as  to  demand  a  college,  I  cannot  but 
think  that  its  history  would  have  been  different.  In  that 
case  the  numerous  churches  which  had  been  established 
throughout  the  State  would  have  been  strengthened  by 
the  supply  of  pastors  adapted  to  their  wants,  and  would 
have  been  ready,  when  at  length  it  became  a  college,  to 
rally  around  it  with  their  affections  and  aid."^ 

But  the  change,  wisely  or  unwisely  at  the  time,  had 
been  made,  and  the  Baptists  of  Maine  had  a  chartered 
collegiate  institution  as  the  result  of  years  of  earnest 
prayer  and  toil.  As  yet  it  possessed  only  the  promise  of 
future  good,  but  with  its  limited  facilities  it  served  to 
awaken  an  interest  in  the  higher  education  and  to  con- 
centrate the  efforts  of  Baptists  in  the  various  sections 
of  the  State  in  promoting  general  as  well  as  ministerial 
education. 

*  Dr.  Champlin's  Semi-Centennial  Discourse,  p.  17. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


Beginnings  of  Foreign  Missionary  Work. 

As  stated  in  its  constitution,  the  object  of  the  Maine 
Baptist  Missionary  Society,  organized  in  1804,  was  "to 
furnish  occasional  preaching,  gather  churches  and  to  pro- 
mote the  knowledge  of  evangelical  truth  in  new  settle- 
ments within  the  limits  of  the  United  States,  or  further 
if  circumstances  may  render  it  proper."  It  is  possible, 
as  has  already  been  intimated,  that  in  these  last  words 
there  may  be  a  reference  to  a  work  similar  to  that  upon 
which  Carey,  Marshman  and  Ward  had  entered  in  India. 
Copies  of  The  Baptist  Annual  Register,  edited  by  John 
Rippon,  D.  D.,  and  published  in  London,  covering  the 
years  1790-1802,  reached  this  country  and  were  in  the 
hands  of  some  of  our  Baptist  ministers.  The  four  volumes 
of  the  Register  in  the  possession  of  the  writer  became  the 
property  of  Rev.  Benjamin  Titcomb^  of  Brunswick,  two 
of  them  as  early  as  1807.  On  the  title  page  of  each  of  the 
four  volumes  are  the  lines, 

"From  East  to  West,  from  North  to  South, 
Now  be  his  name  ador'd  ! 
Europe,  with  all  thy  millions,  shout 
Hosannahs  to  thy  Lord  ! 
"Asia  and  Africa,  resound 

From  shore  to  shore  his  fame ; 
And  thou,  America,  in  songs 
Redeeming  Love  proclaim  !" 

In  the  spirit  of  these  lines  The  Baptist  Annual  Register 
was  conducted.  The  first  volume  contains  an  account  of 
the  ordination  of  William  Carey,  a  notice  of  his  work,  "An 
Enquiry  into  the  Obligations  of  Christians  to  Use  Means 

^  In  1853,  Deacon  Titcomb  of  Brunswick  gave  these  four  volumes  to  Rev.  Thomas  B. 
Ripley,  and  after  Mr.  Ripley's  death  they  were  purchased  by  the  writer. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  177 

for  the  Conversion  of  the  Heathens,"^  and  the  action  of 
The  Particular  Baptist  Society  for  Propagating  the  Gos- 
pel among  the  Heathen  in  announcing  in  1793  *'an  open 
door  for  preaching  the  gospel  to  the  Hindoos,"  and  the 
appointment  of  Mr.  Carey  as  a  missionary.  In  the  suc- 
ceeding volumes  are  letters  from  Carey  and  his  associates, 
and  other  missionary  intelligence.  Like  intelligence  was 
to  be  found  in  the  Massachusetts  Baptist  Missionary  Mag- 
azine and  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Register.  That 
the  foreign  missionary  spirit  at  that  time  was  abroad  is 
also  indicated  by  the  appearance  in  a  hymn  book  pub- 
lished in  Portland  in  1805,"  of  B.  H.  Draper's  fine  hymn,^ 
occasioned  by  the  departure  of  missionaries  from  Bristol, 
England,  in  1803,  commencing 

"Ruler  of  worlds  !  display  thy  pow'r." 

This  hymn,  the  source  of  two*  of  the  most  inspiring  of 
the  missionary  hymns  of  the  Christian  church,  thus  early 
made  accessible  to  the  lovers  of  sacred  song  in  Maine, 
could  have  had  no  other  effect  than  to  awaken  the  same 
enthusiasm  for  missionary  work  in  the  foreign  field  which 
had  been  awakened  by  Case,  Potter,  Tripp  and  others  in 
the  home  field. 

On  Thursday,  Feb.  6,  1812,  at  the  Tabernacle  in  Salem, 
Mass.,  Adoniram  Judson,  Samuel  Newell,  Samuel  Nott, 
Gordon  Hall  and  Luther  Rice  were  ordained  to  the  gos- 
pel ministry  as  missionaries  of  the  American  Board  of 
Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions  to  the  heathen  in 

'  This  pamphlet  was  written  by  Carey  when  he  was  living  in  poverty  and  sickness  at 
Moulton,  where  he  preached  for  a  time  as  a  probationer.  In  1788,  when  he  moved  to 
Leicester,  he  read  it  to  the  friends  assembled  on  occasion  of  recognition  services.  When 
he  told  his  brethren  conceminsr  the  statistics  he  had  collected  as  to  the  state  of  the 
heathen  world,  they  said,  "Be  not  in  a  hurry  to  print  them  ;  let  us  look  over  them,  and 
see  if  anything  can  be  omitted,  altered,  or  added."  Dr.  Ryland  says,  "We  found  it 
needed  very  little  correction."  Carey  printed  his  pamphlet  in  1792.  A  facsimile  edition 
was  published  in  1891,  with  an  introduction  entitled,  "How  William  Carey  was  led  to 
Write  his  Pamphlet." 

'  Hymns  Original  and  Selected  for  the  Use  of  Christians,  compiled  by  Elias  Smith  and 
Abner  Jones. 

'  Baptist  Hymn  Writers  and  their  Hymns,  pp.  138,  139. 

*  The  other  hymn  commences.  "Ye  Christian  heroes,  go  proclaim." 
13 


178  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

Asia.  Messrs.  Nott,  Hall  and  Rice  sailed  from  Philadel- 
phia for  Calcutta,  February  18th,  and  Messrs.  Judson  and 
Newell,  with  their  wives,  sailed  from  Salem,  February 
19th,  "amidst  the  prayers  and  benedictions  of  multitudes, 
whose  hearts  go  with  them,  and  who  will  not  cease  to 
remember  them  at  the  throne  of  grace."  These  words  are 
from  the  Massachusetts  Baptist  Missionary  Magazine  for 
March,  1812.  The  Baptists  in  this  country  had  become 
deeply  interested  in  the  work  of  the  English  Baptists 
among  the  heathen  in  India.  Here,  however,  were  breth- 
ren, not  of  their  own  denomination,  but  fellow  country- 
men, who  had  been  set  apart  for  missionary  service,  and 
they  could  not  but  be  deeply  interested  in  the  movement. 
Indeed,  so  deep  was  this  interest  in  Salem  that  a  society 
was  organized  by  Baptists  that  same  year  for  the  purpose 
of  aiding  the  English  Baptist  missionaries  in  Serampore. 
It  was  called  the  Salem  Bible  Translation  and  Foreign  Mis- 
sion Society,  and  its  object  was  "to  raise  money  to  aid  the 
translation  of  the  Scriptures  into  the  eastern  languages,  at 
present  going  on  at  Serampore  under  the  superintendence 
of  Dr.  William  Carey ;  or,  if  deemed  advisable  at  any  time, 
to  assist  in  sending  a  missionary  or  missionaries  from  this 
country  to  India."  Rev.  Lucius  Bolles,  pastor  of  the  Bap- 
tist church  in  Salem,  was  elected  president  of  this  society. 

But  the  interest  of  American  Baptists  in  foreign  mis- 
sion work  was  greatly  stimulated  by  the  tidings  which  at 
length  were  received  from  India  that  Adoniram  Judson 
and  his  wife,  who  had  gone  to  India  as  Congregational- 
ists,  had  by  their  study  of  the  Scriptures,  both  on  the  voy- 
age and  after  their  arrival  at  Calcutta,  been  led  to  adopt 
Baptist  views. 

August  31,  1812,  Mr.  Judson  announced  this  denomina- 
tional change  in  a  letter  to  Rev.  Thomas  Baldwin  of  Bos- 
ton, and  on  the  following  day  he  wrote  to  Rev.  Lucius 
Bolles  of  Salem.  It  appears  from  the  letter  to  Mr.  Bolles 
that  it  was  Mr.  Judson  who  suggested  the  formation  of 
The  Salem  Bible  Translation  and  Foreign  Mission  Soci- 
ety,   Mr.  Judson  writes :   *  'I  recollect  that,  during  a  short 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  179 

interview  I  had  with  you  in  Salem,  I  suggested  the  for- 
mation of  a  society  among  the  Baptists  of  America  for 
the  support  of  foreign  missions,  in  imitation  of  the  exer- 
tions of  your  Enghsh  brethren.  Little  did  I  then  expect 
to  be  personally  concerned  in  such  an  attempt.  Within  a 
few  months,  I  have  experienced  an  entire  change  of  senti- 
ments on  the  subject  of  baptism.  My  doubts  concern- 
ing the  correctness  of  my  former  system  of  belief  com- 
menced during  my  passage  from  America  to  this  country  ; 
and  after  many  painful  trials,  which  none  can  know  but 
those  who  are  taught  to  relinquish  a  system  in  which  they 
had  been  educated,  I  settled  down  in  the  full  persuasion 
that  the  immersion  of  a  professing  believer  in  Christ  is 
the  only  Christian  baptism.  Mrs.  Judson  is  united  with 
me  in  this  persuasion.  We  have  signified  our  views  and 
wishes  to  the  Baptist  missionaries  at  Serampore,  and 
expect  to  be  baptized  in  this  city  next  Lord's  Day.  A  sep- 
aration from  my  missionary  brethren  and  a  dissolution  of 
my  connection  with  the  Board  of  Commissioners  seem  to  be 
necessary  consequences.  The  missionaries  at  Serampore 
are  exerted  to  the  utmost  of  their  ability,  in  managing 
and  supporting  their  extensive  and  complicated  mission. 
Under  these  circumstances,  I  look  to  you.  Alone,  in  this 
foreign,  heathen  land,  I  make  my  appeal  to  those  whom, 
with  their  permission,  I  will  call  my  Baptist  brethren  in 
the  United  States." 

The  appeal  met  with  a  ready  response,  and  in  the  house 
of  Mr.  Baldwin,  in  Boston,  The  Baptist  Society  for  Pro- 
pagating the  Gospel  in  India  and  other  Foreign  Parts  was 
organized  in  the  spring  of  1813.  Of  this  society  Rev. 
Thomas  Baldwin  was  made  president,  and  Rev.  Daniel 
Sharp,  secretary. 

The  first  offering  in  the  District  of  Maine  for  foreign 
mission  work,  it  has  been  said,  was  in  1813,  when 
Dea.  Aaron  Hayden  of  Eastport  gave  ten  dollars.  The 
first  offering  from  a  Baptist  church  in  the  district  came 
from  the  Baptist  church  in  Cornish— twenty-three  dollars. 


180  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

Another  of  the  early  contributions  came  from  the  Female 
Mite  Society  in  Sedgwick  in  1816.^ 

Mr.  Judson  soon  announced  that  Rev.  Luther  Rice  had 
also  adopted  Baptist  sentiments  on  the  subject  of  baptism. 
Mr.  Rice  at  once  returned  to  this  country  for  the  purpose 
of  interesting  the  Baptists  of  the  United  States  in  foreign 
mission  work,  and  on  his  arrival  was  everywhere  received 
with  the  utmost  cordiality.  The  Philadelphia  Association 
entered  heartily  into  the  plan  for  Baptist  foreign  mission 
work.  "This  association,"  says  the  record,  "has  heard 
with  pleasure  of  the  change  of  sentiment  in  Brother  Rice 
and  Brother  Judson  and  wife,  relative  to  the  ordinance  of 
Christian  baptism,  and  of  their  union  with  this  denomina- 
tion. As  these  worthy  persons  are  still  desirous  of  pursu- 
ing their  missionary  career,  this  association,  feeling  the 
obligations  of  the  American  Baptists  to  give  them  support, 
recommend  the  formation  of  a  society  of  a  similar  kind 
with  those  already  formed  in  New  England,  to  be  denomi- 
nated The  Philadelphia  Baptist  Society  for  Foreign  Mis- 
sions." A  similar  society  was  organized  in  New  York, 
Feb.  21,  1814.  May  18th,  delegates  from  the  different 
States  met  in  Philadelphia  and  organized  the  General 
Missionary  Convention  of  the  Baptist  Denomination  in  the 
United  States  of  America,  for  Foreign  Missions,  generally 
known  as  the  Triennial  Convention. 

Mr.  Rice  was  not  able  to  visit  Maine,  but  he  sent  a 
letter  to  the  associations  in  the  State.  The  Cumberland 
Association  met  in  Brunswick  Oct.  5  and  6,  1814,  and  in 
the  Minutes  we  find  the  following  record :  '  'Received  a 
communication  from  the  Rev.  Luther  Rice,  requesting 
this  association  to  take  into  consideration  the  propriety 
and  expediency  of  aiding  the  recently  established  foreign 
mission  by  taking  up  public  contributions  in  the  churches, 
and  by  recommending  the  formation  of  societies  for  the 
above  named  purpose,  and  that  an  answer,  together  with 
a  copy  of  our  Minutes,  be  forwarded  to  the  corresponding 
secretary  of  that  board."    Brethren  Tripp,  Boardman  and 

*  Rev.  W.  H.  Spencer,  D.  D.,  in  Zion's  Advocate. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  181 

Haynes  were  appointed  a  committee  in  accordance  with 
this  request. 

The  action  of  the  Bowdoinham  Association  was  similar. 
"It  was  voted  that  Elders  Low,  Francis  and  Daggett  be 
a  committee  to  make  arrangements  ...  to  promote 
the  laudable  designs  of  the  Baptist  Board  for  Foreign 
Missions."  It  was  also  voted  "to  recommend  to  the 
churches  of  this  association  that  there  be  a  contribution 
every  three  months  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  a  fund 
to  promote  the  designs  of  the  Baptist  Board  for  Foreign 
Missions." 

In  the  Minutes  of  the  Cumberland  Association  for  1815 
occurs  the  following  record:  "The  trustees  of  the  Maine 
Baptist  Missionary  Society  feel  deeply  impressed  with  the 
importance  of  the  foreign  mission,  and  earnestly  recom- 
mend to  the  churches  that  compose  this  association  to 
take  the  matter  under  serious  and  prayerful  considera- 
tion ;  and  they  most  devoutly  hope  that  they  will  enter 
into  the  spirit  of  the  subject,  and  that  they  will  'of  their 
abundance  lay  by  in  store  (against  another  year)  their 
liberality, '  with  their  brethren  who  are  before  them  in  the 
work,  that  the  object  be  not  hindered  for  the  lack  of  pecu- 
niary aid." 

In  the  Minutes  of  the  Lincoln  Association  for  1814,  there 
is  no  reference  to  the  foreign  mission  work,  but  in  the 
Minutes  for  1816  there  is  this  record  :  '  'Voted  that  thirty 
dollars  of  the  contribution  be  appropriated  for  the  foreign 
mission,"  and  in  the  Circular  Letter  there  is  this  allusion 
to  the  new  movement :  '  'Great  exertions  are  made  for  a 
still  more  extensive  spread  of  the  gospel :  for  this  pur- 
pose numerous  Bible  and  missionary  societies  are  already 
formed,  which  seem  to  promise  much  assistance  in  this 
good  work.  An  extensive  Baptist  missionary  society  has 
been  formed  in  America  the  last  year  for  the  purpose 
of  aiding  foreign  missions,  and  a  considerable  sum  has 
already  been  raised  for  that  purpose. ' ' 

Already  a  Maine  Foreign  Missionary  Society  had  been 
organized.     In  the  Massachusetts  Baptist  Missionary  Mag- 


182  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

azine  for  March,  1816,  there  is  a  letter  addressed  by  Rev. 
Samuel  Baker  of  Thomaston  to  Rev.  Daniel  Sharp  of  Bos- 
ton, in  which  Mr.  Baker,  as  corresponding  secretary  of 
the  Maine  Baptist  Auxiliary  Society  to  aid  Foreign  Mis- 
sions, says:  "In  September  last  some  brethren  in  this 
town  manifested  a  desire  to  do  something  for  the  mission- 
ary cause ;  but  the  magnitude  of  the  object,  the  scantiness 
of  our  means,  and  the  strong  propensity  of  men  to  do 
nothing  but  what  is  for  self  interest,  together  with  the 
extreme  danger  we  are  all  in  of  corrupt  motives,  were 
strong  objections  to  an  attempt  of  the  kind.  However, 
the  desire  of  promoting  the  cause  at  length  prevailed  ;  and 
when  the  matter  was  made  known  to  the  brethren  in  the 
vicinity,  we  were  happy  to  find  their  minds  had  been  pre- 
viously occupied  on  the  same  subject.  An  introductory 
meeting  was  agreed  upon  and  holden,  and  the  fourth  of 
October  following  appointed  for  the  organization  of  the 
society,  when  a  sermon  was  to  be  preached  on  the  occa- 
sion. On  the  day  appointed  the  members  met,  some  of 
whom  manifested  uncommon  liberality.  One  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  society  declared  that  five  years  before  he  had 
conceived  a  design  of  giving  ten  dollars  a  year  to  the  mis- 
sionary cause,  and  therefore  embraced  this  first  oppor- 
tunity of  subscribing  the  whole  fifty.  An  hundred  and 
fifteen  dollars  were  immediately  subscribed.  We  hope, 
by  the  opening  of  the  spring,  to  be  able  to  forward  an 
hundred  dollars  to  the  treasurer  of  your  society,  and  to 
furnish  nearly  the  same  sum  annually."  In  a  postscript 
Mr.  Baker  adds :  '  'The  sisters  and  other  females  in  this 
town  and  vicinity,  to  the  number  of  nearly  two  hundred, 
have  also  agreed  to  give  a  cent  per  week  for  the  mis- 
sionary cause."  In  the  Minutes  for  1818,  it  was  stated 
that  the  Foreign  Mission  Society,  to  which  reference  is 
made  above,  had  in  the  three  years  of  its  existence  col- 
lected and  paid  into  the  missionary  treasury  $523.00. 

The  Circular  Letter  of  the  Bowdoinham  Association,  in 
1816,  was  by  licentiate  Otis  Briggs  of  Farmington,  and  its 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  183 

theme  was  '  'The  Importance  of  Communicating  the  Light 
of  the  Gospel  to  the  Heathen  in  the  East." 

Reports  that  came  from  Burma  at  this  time  concerning 
the  work  of  Dr.  Judson  were  exceedingly  encouraging. 
He  had  written  at  Rangoon  Aug.  26,  1817,  to  Dr.  Baldwin 
in  Boston,  "I  know  not  that  I  shall  live  to  see  a  single 
convert,  but  notwithstanding,  I  feel  that  I  would  not  leave 
my  present  situation  to  be  made  a  king."  It  was  not 
until  June  27,  1819,  that  Dr.  Judson  baptized  his  first  con-' 
vert,  Moung  Nau.  The  tidings  awakened  deep  interest  in 
the  churches  at  home.  The  Cumberland  Association  met 
at  Livermore  Oct.  4  and  5,  1820,  and  the  Circular  Letter 
referred  to  the  glorious  prospect  which  the  foreign  mis- 
sionary enterprise  had  opened.  ''The  work  and  knowl- 
edge of  God  is  spreading  in  India  and  Burma,  in  Africa, 
among  the  islands  of  the  sea,  and  in  the  cold  dreary 
regions  of  Siberia." 

George  Dana  Boardman,  a  son  of  Rev.  Sylvanus  Board- 
man,  was  a  graduate  of  Waterville  College,  class  of  1822. 
Before  his  graduation  he  had  pondered  the  question  of 
duty  as  to  his  life  work,  whether  he  should  preach  the  gos- 
pel as  a  missionary  to  the  American  Indians  or  as  pastor 
of  some  church.  In  the  spring  of  1822,  the  subject  of  for- 
eign missions  attracted  his  attention.  While  he  was  con- 
sidering the  claims  of  the  foreign  field,  his  appointment  to 
a  tutorship  in  the  college  was  received.  But  so  settled 
now  had  become  his  convictions  with  reference  to  foreign 
missionary  work,  that  in  yielding  for  the  time  to  the  advice 
of  his  friends  he  gave  them  to  understand  that  in  accept- 
ing this  appointment  his  heart  was  in  the  foreign  field  and 
that  he  should  probably  resign  at  the  end  of  the  college 
year.  Mr.  Boardman  entered  upon  his  college  work  in 
October,  but  all  his  conduct,  meditation,  conversation,  cor- 
respondence and  most  of  his  reading  had  some  bearing  on 
missions.  Then  came  the  tidings  of  the  death  of  Colman 
in  Arracan.  "Who  will  go  to  fill  his  place?"  was  the 
question  that  was  at  once  suggested  to  Boardman,  and  in 
an  instant  came  the  answer,  "I  will  go."    He  consulted 


184  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

with  his  friends  and  those  in  whose  judgment  he  had  confi- 
dence, and  the  result  was  that  in  April,  1823,  he  offered 
himself  to  the  Baptist  Board  for  Foreign  Missions  as  a  mis- 
sionary among  the  heathen. 

In  order  to  prepare  himself  for  his  future  work,  Board- 
man  decided  to  pursue  theological  studies  at  Andover 
Theological  Seminary.  The  parting  at  Waterville  was 
graphically  portrayed  at  the  time  by  E.  W.  F.^  "In  the 
corner  room,  on  the  third  floor  of  the  south  college  edi- 
fice—the room  from  v^T^hich  may  be  seen  the  broad  surface 
of  the  Kennebec  river— the  green  fields  on  the  opposite 
side— the  president's  house  and  part  of  the  village— the 
room  which  he  had  occupied  for  several  years— there,  sur- 
rounded by  his  Christian  brethren,  who  were  members  of 
the  college,  stood  Boardman,  about  to  give  them  the  part- 
ing hand,  and  to  say  the  last  farewell.  He  stood  by  the 
window  for  a  few  moments,  as  if  to  survey,  for  the  last 
time,  the  objects  on  which  he  had  so  often  gazed.  After 
he  had  lingered  for  a  moment  to  view  each  long  famil- 
iar object  without,  he  turned  away  from  the  window, 
and  cast  his  eye  around  upon  his  beloved  companions, 
who  stood  in  silence,  forming  a  circle  quite  around  the 
room.  All  was  still.  The  eye  of  Boardman  alone  was 
undimmed  by  a  tear.  In  a  tender,  and  yet  unfaltering 
tone,  he  addressed  a  few  words  to  his  brethren.  'My 
dear  brethren,'  said  he,  'serve  your  Saviour  unceasingly, 
and  faithfully  until  death,  and  if  it  may  not  be  your 
duty  to  be  missionaries  abroad,  be  missionaries  at  home. ' 
We  all  knelt  down  in  prayer  together  for  the  last  time. 
On  arising  Boardman  passed  around  the  room  and  gave 
to  each  brother  the  parting  hand.  His  countenance  was 
serene,  his  mild  blue  eye  beamed  a  heavenlike  benignity, 
and  though  there  was  in  his  manner  a  tenderness  which 
showed  that  he  had  a  heart  to  feel,  yet  there  was  no  vis- 

'This  was  Enoch  W.  Freeman,  Waterville  College,  class  of  1827,  who  became  pastor 
at  New  Gloucester  that  year,  and  at  Lowell,  Mass.,  1828-35.  He  died  at  Lowell,  Mass., 
Sept.  22,  1835,  aged  thirty-six  years.  He  was  the  author  of  the  hymn,  "Rouse  ye  at  the 
Saviour's  call"— a  hymn  well  known  in  prayer-meeting  circles  in  the  second  quarter  of 
the  nineteenth  century. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  185 

ible  emotion  till  he  came  to  his  room-mate,  Mr.  P.^  As 
he  took  him  by  the  hand,  his  whole  frame  became  con- 
vulsed, his  ton^e  faltered,  his  eye  instantly  filled,  and 
the  tears  fell  fast,  as  if  all  the  tender  feelings  of  his 
spirit,  till  now  imprisoned,  had  at  this  moment  broken 
forth,  he  wept,  he  faltered  'farewell,'  and  then  smiling 
through  his  tears  said,  as  he  left  the  room,  'we  shall  meet 
again  in  heaven.' " 

Mr.  Boardman  prosecuted  his  theological  studies  at 
Andover  Theological  Seminary.  Early  in  1825  he  spent 
several  weeks  in  Maine  conducting  missionary  services. 
His  ordination  occurred  February  16th,  at  Yarmouth, 
where  his  father  was  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  from 
1810  to  1816.  Mr.  Boardman  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
church  in  Waterville,  and  that  place  and  Portland  had 
been  considered  in  connection  with  the  ordination  service, 
but  the  church  in  Yarmouth  requested  that  the  consecra- 
tion of  the  young  missionary  should  take  place  there ; 
"and  certainly  it  fell  in  with  the  propriety  of  things  that 
George  Dana  Boardman  should  be  set  apart  to  the  sacred 
office  to  which  he  had  dedicated  his  life,  in  the  early 
home,  around  which  so  many  sweet  and  endearing  asso- 
ciations clustered. " "  To  this  the  Waterville  church  gave 
its  consent.  The  Congregational  brethren,  with  Christian 
courtesy,  offered  their  house  of  worship— larger  and  more 

'This  was  probably  Hadley  Proctor,  class  of  1823,  pastor  at  China,  and  principal  of 
China  Academy,  1823-26 ;  pastor  at  Rutland,  Vt.,  1825-35 ;  principal  of  Vermont  Literary 
and  Scientific  Institute,  Brandon,  1835-6 ;  pastor  at  Rutland,  1836-38 ;  China,  Me.,  1838-42. 
He  died  at  China,  April  12,  1842,  agred  forty-eight. 

'  Rev.  J.  C.  Stockbridge.  D.  D.,  in  Zion's  Advocate.  At  the  dedication  of  the  new 
church  edifice  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Yarmouth,  May  23,  1889,  Dr.  Stockbridge  gave 
some  reminiscences  connected  with  the  early  history  and  pastors  of  the  churcli.  Refer- 
ring to  Boardman's  childhood  at  Yarmouth,  he  said :  "He  entered  the  village  academy, 
and  at  once  exhibited  talent  which  marked  him  as  a  young  scholar  remarkably  preco- 
cious, and  sure  to  win  distinction  in  the  paths  of  learning.  It  is  related  of  him  that  he 
was  put  upon  the  study  of  Latin  grammar.  This  he  despatched  in  less  time  than  his 
instructor  had  ever  known  it  done  before.  Having  gone  through  it  the  first  time,  he 
fondly  hoped  to  be  put  immediately  to  the  use  of  the  lexicon.  He  was  told,  however, 
that  previously  to  this  he  must  go  through  the  grammar  once  or  twice  more.  He  was 
disappointed,  but  took  his  seat ;  but  after  an  hour  or  two  was  asked  if  he  had  got  his 
lesson,  and  being  called  upon  he  recited  verbatim  sixteen  pages.  He  was  then  asked  if 
he  had  got  more.  He  answered,  'Yes' ;  and  on  being  asked  how  much,  he  replied,  'I  can 
recite  the  whole  book,  sir,  if  you  wish.'  " 


186  HISTORY    OF    THE    BAPTISTS    IN    MAINE. 

accessible  than  the  Baptist  meeting-house  on  the  hill— 
for  the  ordination  services,  and  the  offer  was  accepted. 
Rev.  Jeremiah  Chaplin,  president  of  Waterville  College, 
preached  the  sermon  from  Ps.  71  :  16,  "I  will  go  in  the 
strength  of  the  Lord  God."  His  theme  was  "The  Suit- 
ableness of  a  Spirit  of  Entire  Dependence  on  God  in  a  Mis- 
sionary to  the  Heathen."  Among  those  present  was  Miss 
Sarah  B.  Hall  of  Salem,  Mass.,  who  was  soon  to  become 
Mr.  Boardman's  bride.  The  service  throughout  was  one 
of  very  deep  interest,  and  the  memory  of  it  long  lingered 
in  the  Baptist  families  in  Yarmouth.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Board- 
man  sailed  from  Philadelphia  July  16,  1825,  for  Calcutta. 
The  earnest  prayers  of  the  Baptists  of  Maine  followed  the 
young  missionary  and  his  wife  to  their  field  of  labor  in  far 
away  Burma.  The  tidings  that  came  to  them  from  time 
to  time  concerning  their  work  at  Moulmein,  and  afterward 
at  Tavoy,^  were  read  with  eager  interest.  At  length  came 
the  tidings  of  Mr.  Boardman's  death,  which  occurred 
Feb.  11,  1831.  Dr.  Judson  wrote  in  his  journal,  "One  of 
the  brightest  luminaries  of  Burma  is  extinguished— dear 
Brother  Boardman  is  gone  to  his  eternal  rest.  He  fell 
gloriously  at  the  head  of  his  troops  in  the  arms  of  vic- 
tory—thirty-eight wild  Karens  having  been  brought  into 
the  camp  of  King  Jesus  since  the  beginning  of  the  year, 
besides  the  thirty-two  that  were  brought  in  during  the 
two  preceding  years." 

1  Mr.  Boardman  baptized  his  first  Karen  convert  at  Tavoy,  May  16, 1828.  "May  16, 1903, 
the  Karen  and  Burman  schools  met  on  the  bank  of  the  Ko  Tha  Byu  Lake  (now  dry)  at 
7  A.  M.  to  give  thanks  to  the  God  of  missions  in  memory  of  the  seventy-fifth  anniversary 
of  the  first  baptisms  among  the  Karens.  'Ko-Tha-Byu,  baptized  by  Rev.  George  D. 
Boardman,  May  16th,  1828,'  is  the  first  record  of  this  Burman  church  register;  it  is  fol- 
lowed by  the  name  of  a  Burman  and  the  name  of  a  Chinaman  who  lived  a  faithful  Chris- 
tian life  until  called  home  at  an  advanced  age  from  Mergui.  We  sang  'O  happy  day,  that 
fixed  my  choice,'  then  Rev.  H.  Morrow  told  us  in  Karen  about  Ko-Tha-Byu,  which  was 
followed  in  Burmese  by  Rev.  Po  Ka,  pastor  of  the  Burman  church.  The  Karens  sang  Ko- 
Tha-Byu  Memorial  Hymn,  prayer  was  offered  in  both  languages,  and  'Jesus  shall  reign 
where'er  the  sun'  was  sung  in  Karen  and  Burmese,  after  which  Mr.  Morrow  told  them 
that  when  they  met  there  again  to  celebrate  the  one  hundredth  anniversary  some  of  us 
would  not  be  present  and  the  children  who  now  united  with  us  in  singing  would  remem- 
ber the  occasion.  We  sang  the  doxology  in  both  languages  and  returned  to  our  homes. 
There  are  now  in  Burma  about  40,000  Karen  Christians."  The  News.  Rangoon,  June, 
1903. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  187 

When  the  Cumberland  Association  met  in  Yarmouth 
Sept.  1,  1831,  Dea.  Heman  Lincoln  of  Boston,  treasurer 
of  the  Baptist  General  Convention,  was  present  and 
addressed  the  association  on  the  subject  of  missions. 
The  tidings  of  Boardman's  death  had  not  yet  reached  this 
country.  The  record  states  that  Deacon  Lincoln,  in  his 
address,  "adverted  to  the  labors  of  Mr.  Boardman  among 
the  Karens,  and  stated  that  his  health  was  still  precarious, 
and  in  conclusion  presented  to  the  audience  the  famous 
book,  which  had  been  for  twelve  years  to  these  benighted 
Karens  an  object  of  worship."  At  the  close  of  Deacon 
Lincoln's  address.  Rev.  Thomas  B.  Ripley  offered  the  fol- 
lowing resolution,  which  was  unanimously  adopted  : 

"In  view  of  the  interesting  facts  which  have  been 
brought  before  us,  some  of  which  have  been  proved  by 
demonstration— by  the  evidence  of  sense— 

"Resolved,  by  this  association,  that  we  sincerely  rejoice 
and  give  glory  to  God  in  view  of  the  success  which  has 
attended  our  missionary  enterprise  abroad— that  we  will 
increase  our  efforts  to  sustain,  by  our  more  earnest  pray- 
ers and  more  liberal  contributions,  our  dear  brethren,  who 
have  sacrificed  all  the  endearments  of  kindred  and  home, 
that  they  might  preach  among  the  heathen  the  unsearch- 
able riches  of  Christ ;  and  that  in  accordance  with  the 
spirit  of  this'resolution,  a  collection  now  be  taken  up  for 
the  support  of  that  cause,  which  our  brother  has  so  ably 
advocated." 

At  length  the  message  that  Boardman  was  dead  reached 
our  shores,  and  the  story  of  those  last  days  among  the 
hills  of  Tavoy,  so  pathetically  told  by  Mrs.  Boardman,  was 
read  and  re-read  in  Baptist  homes  throughout  the  State, 
and  by  it  many  a  disciple  was  led  to  a  deeper  consecration 
to  the  service  of  Christ.  Others,  too,  there  were,  from 
that  time  on,  who  were  ready  to  devote  themselves  to  the 
same  high,  noble  service. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


Progress  of  the  Churches. 

Missionary  activity  was  amply  rewarded.  In  the  Lin- 
coln Association  the  work  had  been  so  successfully  pros- 
ecuted that  the  association  covered  a  territory  of  one 
hundred  miles  in  extent  north  and  south,  and  for  the  con- 
venience of  the  churches  it  was  voted  at  the  meeting  of 
the  association  at  Nobleborough,  Sept.  21  and  22,  1825, 
"that  the  churches  in  the  north  of  this  association  have 
liberty  to  convene  and  form  themselves  into  a  separate 
association." 

Bowdoinham  Association,  which  met  in  Litchfield  a 
week  later,  reported  seasons  of  refreshing  from  the 
presence  of  the  Lord,  especially  in  Fayette,  Belgrade, 
Farmington  and  Gardiner.  The  whole  number  added  by 
baptism  was  419,  by  letter  67,  and  by  restoration  11,  mak- 
ing an  addition  of  497  and  a  net  gain  of  345.  Tidings  had 
evidently  come  to  the  association  concerning  the  action  of 
Lincoln  Association  with  reference  to  division,  and  it  was 
voted  '  'to  give  leave  to  all  the  churches  on  the  east  side  of 
the  Kennebec  to  join  with  those  north  of  the  Lincoln 
Association." 

A  meeting  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  the  new  asso- 
ciation was  held  in  Parkman  in  January,  1826.  At  this 
meeting  fifteen  churches  were  represented,  and  when 
the  first  meeting  of  the  new  organization,  known  as  the 
Penobscot  Association,  was  held  in  New  Charleston,  Sept. 
6  and  7,  1826,  seven  other  churches  were  received,  making 
the  whole  number  twenty-two,  with  800  members.  Lin- 
coln Association,  which  in  1825  reported  fifty-five  churches 
and  3,128  members,  in  1826  reported  forty-four  churches 
and  2,659  members.    Bowdoinham  Association,  which  in 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE,  189 

1825  reported  fifty-five  churches  and  3,331  members,  in 

1826  reported  forty -three  churches  and  3,061  members. 
It  was  from  these  two  associations,  therefore,  that  the 
churches  constituting  the  Penobscot  Association  at  its 
organization  largely  came. 

But  there  were  those  who,  notwithstanding  the  evi- 
dences of  apparent  prosperity,  were  not  satisfied  with  the 
state  of  things  religiously  in  the  churches.  And  doubtless 
there  was  occasion  for  a  less  optimistic  view  than  that 
which  oftentimes  found  expression.  The  membership  of 
the  churches  then  as  now  contained  those  who  were  by  no 
means  wholly  sanctified.  In  the  Circular  Letter  of  the 
Lincoln  Association  in  1826,  we  find  this  statement:  "It 
is  a  fact  too  apparent  to  be  denied  that  as  a  body  of  pro- 
fessed Christians,  we  do  not  manifest  that  love  to  God, 
that  zeal  for  his  cause,  that  solicitude  for  its  advancement, 
that  brotherly  love  for  one  another,  that  indifference  to 
the  charms  of  the  world,  and  that  decided  attachment  to 
the  faith  which  was  once  delivered  unto  the  saints,  which, 
as  Christians,  we  are  bound  to  do.  It  is  true,  there  are 
some,  it  is  believed,  in  every  church  that  are  living  wit- 
nesses for  God,  and  do  sigh  and  cry  for  the  low  state  of 
Zion.  But  it  is  equally  true  that  too  many  seek  their  own 
and  not  the  things  which  are  Jesus  Christ's.  When  we 
see  professors  of  religion  conforming  to  the  world  in  their 
conversation,  conduct  and  pursuits  we  are  authorized  by 
the  word  of  God  to  say  of  them  that  'they  have  for- 
gotten that  they  were  purged  from  their  old  sins. '  .  .  . 
In  churches,  discipline  exists  only  in  name,  not  in  actual 
experiment."  There  is  much  more  in  the  letter  of  the 
same  purport.  A  similar  state  of  things  is  indicated  in 
the  Corresponding  Letter  of  the  Cumberland  Association 
for  the  same  year.  "We  are  ashamed, "  the  letter  reads, 
"when  we  inform  you  that  vital  and  practical  godliness 
has  seriously  declined  amongst  us,  and  the  health  and 
vigor  once  seen  has  greatly  diminished."  That  "practi- 
cal godliness"  was  not  entirely  lacking,  however,  there 
is  evidence  in  this  item  which  occurs  in  the  Minutes  of 


190  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

the  Cumberland  Association  that  year:  "Whereas  Elder 
Sylvanus  Boardman  has  recently  lost  his  dwelling  house 
and  much  of  his  furniture  by  fire,  therefore  Voted,  To  rec- 
ommend to  the  churches  to  take  contributions  of  money 
and  other  articles  for  his  relief."  At  this  meeting  of  the 
Association,  also,  a  committee  was  appointed  to  consider 
the  expediency  of  taking  up  contributions  in  the  churches 
for  the  relief  of  the  widows  and  children  of  deceased 
ministers. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Cumberland  Association  in  Port- 
land, Oct.  3  and  4,  1827,  the  subject  of  a  division  of  the 
association  was  considered,  and  the  expediency  '  'of  divid- 
ing the  association  near  the  line  between  the  counties  of 
Cumberland  and  Oxford"  was  referred  to  the  churches. 
The  association  met  in  Paris  Oct.  1  and  2,  1828,  and  at 
the  session  October  2nd,  the  churches  having  reported 
in  their  letters  with  reference  to  division,  it  was  voted, 
"That  the  association  be  divided,  and  that  the  churches  in 
the  county  of  Oxford,  together  with  the  churches  in  Harri- 
son and  Bridgton,  in  Cumberland,  and  the  churches  of 
Jefferson  and  Lancaster,  N.  H.,  constitute  the  new  body 
to  be  denominated  the  Oxford  Association."  It  was  also 
voted  that  any  church  should  have  liberty  to  unite  with 
either  association,  as  it  might  deem  proper.  The  divison 
was  effected,  and  the  Oxford  Association  held  its  first 
meeting  in  Turner  Sept.  30  and  Oct.  1,  1829. 

Steps  also  were  taken  for  the  organization  of  still 
another  association  at  the  meeting  of  the  Lincoln  Asso- 
ciation, held  in  China  Sept.  17  and  18,  1828.  A  com- 
mittee, consisting  of  Messrs.  Pilsbury,  Blanchard,  Milner 
and  Miller,  was  appointed  to  consider  the  expediency  of 
dividing  the  association.  This  committee  reported,  recom- 
mending that  in  case  of  a  division  of  the  association  the 
Lincoln  Association  embrace  all  the  churches  in  Lincoln 
county  east  of  the  Kennebec  river  and  retain  the  name 
Lincoln,  "with  liberty  for  any  church  on  either  side  of 
said  line  to  unite  with  that  association  which  will  be  most 
convenient."    A  vote  to  divide  the  association  was  car- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  191 

ried.  Even  after  this  action  the  Lincoln  Association  was 
still  a  large,  vigorous  body.  At  its  meeting  Sept.  16  and 
17,  1829,  it  reported  twenty-five  churches  and  2,150  mem- 
bers. The  new  association,  known  as  the  Waldo  Associa- 
tion, was  organized  in  Palermo  Oct.  10,  1828,  and  its  first 
meeting  was  held  in  Montville  Aug.  26  and  27,  1829,  when 
it  reported  seventeen  churches  and  749  members. 

A  movement  for  the  organization  of  still  another  asso- 
ciation, consisting  of  churches  in  the  Bowdoinham  Asso- 
ciation north  of  Hallowell  and  east  of  Livermore,  was 
made  at  the  meeting  of  the  Bowdoinham  Association  held 
at  Bloomfield,  Sept.  24  and  25,  1828,  and  a  resolution  was 
adopted :  '  'That  the  churches  included  in  the  northern  sec- 
tion have  liberty  to  send  delegates  to  meet  in  convention 
at  New  Sharon  on  the  fourth  Wednesday  in  January,  1829, 
to  form  a  new  association."  The  proposed  new  associa- 
tion, however,  was  not  organized  at  that  time.  At  the 
meeting  of  the  Bowdoinham  Association  in  Greene,  Sept. 
23  and  24,  1829,  all  the  churches  in  connection  with  the 
association  in  1828  reported,  but  at  the  close  of  the  Min- 
utes of  the  association  in  1829  occurs  this  note:  "N.  B. 
At  an  adjourned  meeting  of  the  convention,  to  form  a  new 
association,  in  the  vestry  at  the  new  Baptist  meeting-house 
in  Greene,  September  24th,  at  7  o'clock  A.  M.,  Resolved, 
That  it  is  expedient  to  form  a  new  association,  by  the 
name  and  style  of  the  Kennebec  Association,  to  hold  their 
first  session  with  the  church  at  Industry,  the  first  Wednes- 
day in  September,  1830,  at  9  o'clock  A.  M."  This  meeting 
was  held  Sept.  1  and  2,  1830.  Rev.  Sylvanus  Boardman 
was  made  moderator.  The  session  was  closed  with  "a. 
judicious  and  affectionate  address"  by  the  moderator, 
"which  it  is  believed  will  not  soon  be  forgotten."  The 
churches  dismissed  from  the  Bowdoinham  Association  to 
form  the  Kennebec  Association  were  as  follows :  1st 
Sidney,  Clinton,  Mt.  Vernon,  Industry,  New  Sharon, 
Bloomfield,  2d  Sidney,  Belgrade,  Cornville,  Farmington, 
Milburn,  Moscow,  Waterville,  Canaan,  1st  Norridgewock, 


192  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

Strong,  Chesterville,  Anson,  Dixfield,  2d  Norridgewock 
and  Madison/ 

There  were  in  the  State  in  1825  five  associations,  one 
hundred  and  ninety  churches  and  11,370  members.  In 
1830,  there  were  nine  associations,  two  hundred  and  fif- 
teen churches  and  13,151  members,  a  gain  of  four  asso- 
ciations, twenty-five  churches  and  1,781  members.  The 
years  1827  and  1828  were  especially  revival  years.  The 
number  of  baptisms  reported  in  1828  was  1,144.  Much  of 
this  enlargement,  however,  was  due  to  missionary  enter- 
prise. "The  waste  places  had  been  surveyed,  and  eye- 
witnesses have  reported  that  much  ought  to  be  done  to 
send  the  gospel  to  the  destitute,"  says  the  Correspond- 
ing Letter  of  the  Bowdoinham  Association  in  1828.  And 
much  was  done.  Energetic,  godly  men  went  everywhere 
preaching  the  word,  and  not  only  was  the  message  which 
they  carried  most  cordially  welcomed,  but  converts  also 
were  made  in  large  numbers. 

A  Corresponding  Letter  is  found  in  the  Minutes  of  the 
earlier  associations,  but  in  1831  the  Bowdoinham  Asso- 
ciation voted  to  dispense  with  it  in  future,  and  the  clerk 
was  requested  '  'to  substitute  in  its  place  a  short  digest  of 
the  letters  from  the  churches. "  This  "improvement"  so 
completely  met  the  wishes  of  the  author  of  the  Corre- 
sponding Letter  for  that  year  that  he  requested  the  return 
of  his  manuscript  so  that  the  plan  might  go  into  effect  at 
once,  and  his  request  was  granted. 

In  some  of  the  associations,  in  their  earlier  history,  it 
was  the  custom  of  the  churches,  as  has  already  been  indi- 
cated, to  bring  their  difficult  problems  to  the  associational 
meeting  for  solution.  The  following  inquiry  belongs  to 
this  period.  The  church  in  Winthrop  at  the  meeting  of 
the  Bowdoinham  Association  in  1832,  having  called  atten- 
tion to  the  fact  that  the  church  members  covenant  to  bear 
cheerfully  their  equal  proportion  of  the  expenses  of  the 

^  Twenty  of  the  twenty-one  churches  are  designated  in  the  Minutes  of  the  meeting  of 
the  association  in  1830.  The  church  in  Dixfield  did  not  report  and  about  that  time  lost 
its  visibility. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  193 

church  "for  the  rehef  of  the  poor,  the  support  of  the 
ministry  and  other  necessary  charges  of  the  church,"  pro- 
posed this  question :  "Is  it  agreeable  to  the  word  of  God 
to  execute  the  above  obligation  by  making  an  assessment 
or  tax  upon  the  male  members  of  the  church  according  to 
their  polls  and  property  ?"  To  this  inquiry  the  following 
answer  was  given  :  *  'That  it  is  in  agreement  with  the 
revealed  mind  of  the  Lord  Jesus  that  when  any  part  of  his 
property,  which  is  in  the  possession  of  any  one  of  his 
churches,  is  called  for  to  promote  his  cause  in  any  such 
church,  then  it  is  right  and  fit  that  the  sum  wanted  should 
be  apportioned  upon  all  the  polls  and  property  within  such 
church,  unless  the  church  may  agree  upon  some  other 
method,  more  pleasing  to  them,  by  which  to  effect  the 
desired  object." 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Lincoln  Association  in  1829  the 
church  in  Whitefield  submitted  this  question  :  *  'Is  it  agree- 
able to  gospel  order  for  ministers  or  churches  to  admit 
excluded  members,  or  persons  under  censure  by  their  own 
church,  to  speak  or  pray  in  public  meetings  ?"  The  reply 
was  as  follows  :  *  'That  it  is  by  no  means  agreeable  to  gos- 
pel order  to  admit  them  to  speak  or  pray,  when  their 
exclusion  is  founded  upon  immoral  conduct." 

At  this  meeting  of  the  Lincoln  Association  it  was  voted 
that  it  was  expedient  to  form  a  society  for  the  relief 
of  indigent  ministers,  widows  and  helpless  children  of 
deceased  ministers."  This  action  resulted  in  the  organ- 
ization at  that  session  of  The  Lincoln  Baptist  Benevolent 
Society,  with  the  following  as  its  object— "to  create  a 
permanent  fund  for  the  support  and  maintenance  of  min- 
isters of  the  gospel  of  the  Baptist  denomination  who  from 
age,  sickness,  or  any  infirmities,  are  rendered  incapable 
of  ofl[iciating  in  their  ministerial  capacities,  and  who  have 
no  property  to  support  themselves  and  families,  or  their 
widows  and  orphans. "  At  the  meeting  of  the  association 
in  1831,  a  committee  appointed  with  reference  to  the 
Lincoln  Baptist  Benevolent  Society  made  the  following 
report :  '  'That  they  find  in  the  hands  of  the  treasurer  in 

14 


194  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

money  and  approved  notes  about  $100.  That  a  very  great 
deficiency  is  found  to  exist  among  our  churches  in  relation 
to  this  important  object.  We  cannot  think  of  abandoning 
the  society,  and  be  disappointed  in  an  object  so  laudable, 
when  a  little  exertion  by  the  members  composing  this 
association  and  all  that  is  contemplated  by  the  most  ardent 
friends  of  the  society  would  be  accomplished.  But  your 
committee  are  convinced  that  unless  our  churches  can  be 
brought  to  see  and  feel  the  importance  of  the  subject,  it 
must  fail."  The  committee  accordingly  submitted  the  fol- 
lowing resolution,  which  was  adopted:  "Resolved,  That 
auxiliary  societies  be  formed  in  each  church,  and  that  the 
association  appoint  an  agent  in  each  church,  whose  duty 
it  shall  be  to  collect  funds  and  pay  the  same  into  the 
parent  society;  and  that  delegates  to  the  convention  be 
instructed  to  lay  the  subject  before  that  body,  whether  it 
be  expedient  to  extend  this  society,  so  as  to  embrace  the 
whole  State  ;  if  so,  to  devise  means  to  effect  it." 

The  delegates  thus  appointed  were  present?  at  the  meet- 
ing of  the  Maine  Baptist  Convention,  which  was  held 
in  Bloomfield  Oct.  12  and  13,  1831,  and  presented  the 
proposal  of  the  Lincoln  Association  to  make  the  Lincoln 
Baptist  Benevolent  Society  a  state  organization.  This  pro- 
posal was  referred  to  a  committee  consisting  of  Messrs. 
Merriam,  Butler  and  Pilsbury.  The  committee  reported : 
"That  the  delegates  appointed  by  the  several  associations 
to  this  convention,  with  others  friendly  to  the  object,  be 
requested  to  meet  at  the  Baptist  meeting-house  in  Hallo- 
well  on  the  first  Wednesday  of  January  next,  at  2  o'clock 
P.  M. ,  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  a  society  to  raise  a 
fund  for  the  relief  of  indigent  widows  and  orphans  of 
deceased  Baptist  ministers,  which  shall  embrace  in  the 
scope  of  its  operations  the  whole  State."  A  committee 
was  appointed  and  it  was  evidently  expected  that  the  com- 
mittee would  report  at  the  next  annual  meeting  of  the 
convention,  which  was  held  in  Warren  Oct.  10  and  11, 
1832.  The  committee,  however,  failed  to  present  a  report, 
and  a  new  committee  was  appointed  "to  take  into  consid- 


BAPTIST   CHURCH,    CALAIS. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  195 

eration  the  expediency  of  forming  a  society,  which  shall 
embrace  the  whole  state,  for  the  relief  of  superannuated 
ministers,  and  widows  and  children  of  deceased  Baptist 
preachers,  as  was  contemplated  by  the  convention  of  last 
year." 

After  some  deliberation,  the  committee  reported  that 
in  their  opinion  it  was  not  expedient  at  present  to  proceed 
to  organize  such  a  society.  It  cannot  but  be  regarded  as 
a  mistake  that  the  proposal  of  the  Lincoln  Association 
was  not  accepted.  Meanwhile  the  Lincoln  Baptist  Benev- 
olent Society  continued  its  work,  and  a  committee  of 
the  Lincoln  Association,  appointed  in  1832  to  carry  the 
objects  of  the  Lincoln  Baptist  Benevolent  Society  into 
effect,  reported  in  1833  that  the  contemplated  sum  of 
$2,000,  to  be  raised  by  subscribers  agreeing  to  pay  a 
certain  sum  annually  for  five  years,  had  nearly  been 
raised  ;  and  at  the  meeting  of  the  association  in  1834,  the 
announcement  was  made  that  the  subscription  had  been 
completed. 

There  were  large  additions  by  baptism  to  the  churches 
in  1831-34,  namely  1,482  in  1831,  1,241  in  1832,  846  in  1833 
and  1,450  in  1834.  In  the  large  territory  covered  by 
the  Eastern  Maine  Association  the  membership  of  the 
churches  had  become  so  numerous,  especially  as  the  result 
of  revivals  in  1833,  that  in  1834  the  association  reported 
thirty-eight  churches  and  3,209  members.  A  division  of 
the  association  was  accordingly  deemed  expedient,  and 
by  unanimous  agreement  the  Eastern  Maine  Association 
was  dissolved  and  two  new  associations,  Hancock  Associa- 
tion and  Washington  Association,  were  organized  in  1835. 
The  Washington  Association  was  organized  Aug.  26,  1835, 
at  Columbia,  with  sixteen  churches,  containing  1,203  mem- 
bers, and  the  Hancock  Association  Sept.  2,  1835,  in  Tren- 
ton, with  twenty-two  churches,  containing  1,904  members. 

Revivals  still  continued  to  bless  the  churches.  For  quite 
a  number  of  years  large  spiritual  harvests  were  gathered 
here  and  there.     In  1838,^  the  additions  by  baptism,  as 

'  In  the  Minutes  of  the  Lincoln  Association  for  1838  mention  is  made  of  the  report  from 
the  Second  St.  George  church.    From  January  2l8t  to  April  29th,  151  were  added  to  the 


196  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

reported  at  the  associations,  were  2,196 ;  in  1839,  1,200  ;  in 
1840,  2,249 ;  in  1841,  747 ;  in  1842,  about  2,000 ;  in  1843, 
2,003,  and  in  1844,  2,464.  The  reports  that  came  from  the 
churches  in  these  years  contained  references  to  ''reviv- 
ing influences, "  "seasons  of  refreshing,"  "baptismal  sea- 
sons," "God's  special  presence,"  &c.  Such  sentences 
as  these  frequently  occurred:  "Sinners  have  been  con- 
verted," "this  vine  has  been  greatly  strengthened,"  "the 
wilderness  has  blossomed  as  the  rose,  the  dry  and  parched 
land  having  become  pools  of  water,"  "many  precious  souls 
have  been  converted,"  "revival  has  followed  revival," 
&c. ,  &c.  In  1840,  the  Free  St.  church,  Portland,  reported 
102  additions  by  baptism,  and  the  church  in  Topsham 
reported  152.  In  1842,  the  First  church  in  Jefferson  had 
121  additions  by  baptism,  and  in  1843  the  Third  church  in 
Thomaston  received  to  its  membership  by  baptism  126. 

As  the  churches  increased  in  number  new  associations 
were  formed.  At  the  meeting  of  the  Penobscot  Associ- 
ation, held  in  Hampden  Sept.  18,  19  and  20,  1838,  it  was 
decided  that  the  time  had  come  for  a  division  of  the  associ- 
ation. This  action  resulted  in  the  organization  of  the  Pis- 
cataquis Association,  comprising  the  following  churches : 
Parkman,  1st  Sangerville,  Sebec,  Dover,  Abbot,  Athens, 
St.  Albans,  Harmony,  Guilford,  Athens,  Corinna,  Dexter, 
Monson,  Cambridge,  Atkinson  and  Milton,  and  2d  Sanger- 
ville, with  807  members.  The  first  meeting  of  the  associ- 
ation was  held  in  Parkman  Sept.  10,  11  and  12,  1839.  In 
the  four  following  years  seven  churches  were  added,  and 
the  association  in  1843  reported  a  membership  of  1,304. 

In  1841,  the  expediency  of  dividing  the  York  Associa- 
tion was  considered  and  the  following  action  was  taken : 
"Whereas  this  association  being  scattered  over  a  large 
extent  of  territory  so  as  to  subject  the  delegates  to  the 
necessity  of  traveling  a  great  distance,  unless  its  session 

church  by  baptism.  Of  the  79  males  who  were  baptized,  68  followed  the  sea.  Many  of 
them  were  commanders  of  vessels.  "Hence  as  the  fruit  of  this  revival,"  adds  the  account 
in  the  Minutes,  "the  influence  of  our  holy  religion  may  in  a  greater  or  less  degree  be 
felt  in  every  quarter  of  the  globe,  and  many  a  ship  in  which  these  converts  sail  become, 
through  their  instrumentality,  floating  chapels." 


FREE   STREET   CHURCH,    PORTLAND. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  197 

be  held  with  some  of  the  central  churches,  and  being  so 
large  as  to  render  it  impracticable  for  the  smaller  churches 
to  invite  it,  and  also  to  subject  the  larger  ones  to  consid- 
erable inconvenience,  it  would  evidently  be  for  the  conven- 
ience and  interest  of  the  body  to  be  divided ;  therefore, 
Resolved,  That  this  association  be  divided,  and  hereafter 
make  two  distinct  bodies." 

A  meeting  was  held  at  North  Kennebunkport  Dec. 
8,  1841,  at  which  the  new  association,  known  as  the 
Saco  River  Association,  was  organized  and  a  constitution 
adopted.  The  first  meeting  of  the  association  was  held  in 
Saco  Sept.  7  and  8,  1842,  the  following  eighteen  churches, 
with  a  membership  of  1,226,  comprising  the  association  : 
Lyman,  Waterboro,  Cornish,  Limerick,  1st  Parsonsfield, 
Limington,  1st  Kennebunk  and  Lyman,  village  church 
Kennebunkport,  Hollis,  North  Buxton,  Hiram,  Saco,  Free- 
dom, N.  H.,  North  Kennebunkport,  Alfred,  2d  Parsons- 
field,  Effingham,  N.  H. ,  and  2d  Waterboro. 

There  were  now  twelve  associations  in  the  state.  The 
churches  connected  with  these  associations  had  increased 
in  1842  to  two  hundred  and  eighty-two,  and  the  member- 
ship of  the  churches  to  22,213.^  There  had  been  in  recent 
years  an  increase  in  the  population  of  the  State.  Land 
speculation  had  brought  into  Maine  from  other  States  a 
large  number  of  new  settlers.  Then,  too,  the  great  finan- 
cial crisis  in  1837  had  turned  the  attention  of  people  to  the 
more  enduring  riches,  and  pastors  and  missionaries  had 
found  the  hearts  of  men  and  women  in  unwonted  readi- 
ness to  receive  the  gospel  message  which  they  proclaimed. 
This  was  the  period,  also,  in  which  "Millerism"  had  its 
rise  and  fall.     In  1833,  William  Miller,  the  founder  of  the 

'  "It  was  a  time  of  spiritual  quickening:.  Charles  Miller  at  Livermore,  E.  R.  Warren  at 
Augusta,  Harvey  Hawes  at  Damariscotta,  S.  G.  Sarjarent  at  Belfast,  S.  Chisam  at  Jeffer- 
son, B.  F.  Shaw  at  China,  A.  Wilson  at  Banpror,  J.  T.  Champlin  and  T.  O.  Lincoln  at 
Portland,  J.  B.  Hague  at  Eastport,  Handel  G.  Nott  at  Bath,  Enos  Trask,  that  prince  of 
soul-winners  who  in  his  long  ministry  baptized  over  2,000  persons,  these  and  many  others^ 
who  seemed  to  have  a  special  anointing  of  the  Spirit  for  leading  men  to  Christ,  were 
rejoicing  in  times  of  refreshing  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord."  Rev.  E.  C.  Whittemore 
in  An  Historical  Address  at  the  Seventy-fifth  Anniversary  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Conven- 
tion at  Cherryfield,  Oct.  3,  1899. 


198  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

Millerites,  began  to  preach  his  peculiar  doctrines  concern- 
ing the  near  approach  of  the  end  of  the  world.  His  edu- 
cational advantages  had  been  slight,  but  with  such  helps 
as  he  was  able  to  command,  he  had  been  an  earnest  stu- 
dent of  the  Bible,  especially  of  the  prophecies.  The  two 
thousand,  three  hundred  days  in  Daniel  8 :  14,  with  the 
great  body  of  commentators  up  to  that  time,  he  regarded 
as  years.  The  seventy  weeks  in  Daniel  9 :  24  he  believed 
to  be  weeks  of  years,— four  hundred  and  ninety  years,— 
and  these  commenced  with  the  decree  of  Artaxerxes,  king 
of  Persia,  B.  C.  457,  sending  Ezra  from  his  captivity  to 
rebuild  Jerusalem  and  restore  the  Jewish  polity  there  as 
related  in  the  seventh  chapter  of  Ezra.  The  seventy 
weeks  ended  in  A.  D.  33,  with  the  crucifixion  of  Christ. 
The  beginning  of  both  the  seventy  weeks  and  the  two 
thousand,  three  hundred  days,  according  to  Mr.  Miller, 
was  the  same,  B.  C.  457.  It  was  a  matter  of  easy  compu- 
tation, therefore,  the  two  thousand,  three  hundred  days 
being  regarded  as  years,  to  make  the  close  of  the  period 
the  year  A.  D.  1843.  This,  then,  was  to  be  the  time  in 
which  the  world  would  come  to  an  end.  Abundant  signs 
of  the  consummation  Mr.  Miller  saw.  There  was  '  'a  trim- 
ming of  the  lamps"  in  the  translation  of  the  Word  of  God 
into  almost  every  language  on  the  earth,  in  the  organ- 
ization of  missionary  societies,  tract  societies,  temper- 
ance societies,  and  other  societies  for  moral  reform.  The 
earnestness  of  Mr.  Miller's  manner  in  presenting  his 
views,  his  evident  familiarity  with  the  Scriptures,  and  the 
confidence  with  which  he  asserted  their  teachings  as  held 
by  him,  made  a  deep  and  abiding  impression  wherever  he 
went,  and  especially  upon  those  who  were  brought  under 
his  influence  and  under  the  influence  of  men  of  like  spirit, 
who  having  accepted  his  views  went  everywhere  preach- 
ing the  Advent  gospel. 

Mr.  Miller  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Low 
Hampton,  N.  Y.,  and  he  was  licensed  to  preach  by  that 
church  in  1833.  Naturally  in  promulgating  his  views  con- 
cerning the  speedy  approach  of  the  end  of  the  world  he 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  199 

found  ready  access  to  the  churches  of  his  own  denomina- 
tion. In  some  other  evangehcal  denominations,  however, 
he  was  made  equally  welcome.  There  was  generally  an 
eager  desire  to  hear  his  message.  From  March  11th  to 
March  23d,  1840,  he  was  in  Portland,  Maine,  by  invitation 
of  the  pastor  of  the  Christian  church.  A  deep  religious 
interest  was  awakened,  and  a  large  number  of  conversions 
followed.  This  religious  interest  extended  to  the  other 
churches  in  Portland.  Mr.  Miller  lectured  a  portion  of 
the  time  in  the  First  Baptist  church,  and  during  his  stay 
in  the  place  he  was  invited  to  give  an  added  course  of 
lectures  to  his  brethren  there,  but  this  invitation  he  was 
obliged  to  decline.  In  June,  1842,  Mr.  Miller  was  again  in 
Portland,  and  in  September  following  he  was  in  Castine 
proclaiming  the  near  approach  of  the  Saviour's  return. 
By  these  labors,  and  the  labors  of  others,— converts  who 
became  heralds  of  the  new  doctrine— also  by  Advent 
papers  which  were  scattered  widely,  Mr.  Miller's  teach- 
ings were  carried  to  almost  every  town  and  hamlet  in 
Maine.  A  revival  spirit  prevailed  in  many  places.  Pas- 
tors found  it  easy  not  only  to  gather  large  congregations, 
but  to  win  for  their  message  a  ready  acceptance.  Evi- 
dently there  was  a  widespread  feeling  that  this  was  an 
acceptable  time,  a  veritable  day  of  salvation,  and  hun- 
dreds, men,  women  and  children,  pressed  into  the  King- 
dom. In  this  way  only  can  we  account  for  the  nearly  ten 
thousand  additions  to  the  Baptist  churches  in  Maine  by 
baptism  in  these  five  years  1840-1845.  The  net  gain  in  the 
membership  of  the  churches  during  these  years,  however, 
was  only  2,370,  and  it  is  evident  that  among  the  converts, 
as  might  indeed  be  expected,  were  many  who  endured 
only  for  a  season. 

The  late  Rev.  George  Dana  Boardman,  D.  D.,  of  Phila- 
delphia, son  of  the  sainted  missionary  whose  name  he 
bore,  told  this  incident  at  the  centennial  of  the  Baptist 
church  in  North  Livermore  in  1893.  He  said  that  in  his 
boyhood  at  the  time  of  the  Miller  excitement  he  visited  his 
grandfather,  Rev.  Sylvanus  Boardman,   whose  home  at 


200  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

that  time  was  in  New  Sharon.  One  evening,  after  the 
shadows  of  nightfall  had  gathered,  standing  by  a  window 
and  looking  out  into  the  darkness,  he  noticed  a  peculiar 
light,  and  called  his  grandfather.  The  old  man  came; 
silently,  thoughtfully  he  gazed  at  the  wonder  for  a  while, 
and  then  turning  to  his  little  grandson,  he  remarked, 
"Well,  George,  it  maybe  that  Mr.  Miller  is  right,  but  I 
am  going  to  bed  !"  After  his  grandfather  left  the  room, 
the  boy  discovered  the  cause  of  the  peculiar  light  that  had 
attracted  his  attention.  A  large  silver  bull's-eye  watch 
hung  on  the  wall,  and  the  glare  of  the  lamp  fell  upon  it  at 
such  an  angle  that  its  polished  surface  reflected  the  light 
in  a  weird  way  through  the  window. 

But  not  all  those  to  whom  Mr.  Miller's  message  came 
regarded  it  as  philosophically  as  did  Sylvanus  Boardman 
the  marvel  to  which  his  little  grandson  called  attention. 
When  1843  passed  and  things  remained  as  they  were, 
many  of  those  who  had  welcomed  the  prophetic  utterances 
of  William  Miller  now  accepted  his  revised  calculations, 
according  to  which  the  second  advent  would  occur  on  the 
22d  of  October,  1844.  But  that  day  also  came  and  things 
remained  as  they  were.  Mr.  Miller,  in  a  letter  to  one  of 
his  associates,  written  Nov.  10,  1844,  expressed  his  sore 
disappointment  at  the  failure  of  his  prophecy,  but  added, 
*  1  have  fixed  my  mind  on  another  time,  and  here  I  mean 
to  stand  until  God  gives  me  more  light,  and  that  is  to-day, 
and  to-day,  and  to-day,  until  he  comes." 

But  the  larger  number  of  those  who  in  a  greater  or  less 
degree  had  accepted  Mr.  Miller's  views  lost  their  confi- 
dence in  his  Advent  teachings,  and  public  interest  in  his 
views  rapidly  waned.  By  the  action  of  an  ecclesiastical 
council  held  Jan.  29,  1845,  Mr.  Miller  and  the  majority  of 
the  Baptist  church  in  Low  Hampton,  N.  Y. ,  were  virtually 
separated  from  the  denomination.  The  council  recognized 
the  minority,  who  were  not  in  sympathy  with  Mr.  Miller's 
Advent  teachings,  as  the  Baptist  church  in  Low  Hamp- 
ton, and  this  action  left  Mr.  Miller  and  his  adherents 
henceforth  without  denominational  fellowship.    Mr.  Miller 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  201 

was  in  Portland  on  Sunday,  June  1,  1845,  and  addressed 
crowded  audiences.  But  it  was  evident  that  the  people 
came  together  out  of  motives  of  curiosity  only.  They 
wished  to  hear  what  the  apostle  of  Adventism  would  say 
with  reference  to  his  disappointment.  If  Mr.  Miller  made 
any  subsequent  visit  to  Maine  the  record,  so  far  as  we  are 
aware,  has  not  been  preserved. 

Lincoln  Association,  in  1841,  reported  a  membership  of 
3,371,  and  the  churches,  by  vote  of  the  association,  were 
requested  to  express  in  their  letters  the  next  year  their 
opinion  as  to  a  division  of  the  association,  and  a  committee 
was  appointed  to  report  a  line  of  division  should  the  report 
from  the  churches  favor  a  division.  At  the  meeting  of 
the  association  at  West  Thomaston,  Sept.  21  and  22,  1842, 
it  was  found  that  fifteen  churches  were  in  favor  of  a 
division  and  two  were  opposed.  It  was  accordingly  voted 
to  divide  the  association.  The  committee  appointed  to 
report  a  line  of  division  suggested  that  the  line  run 
between  Waldoborough  and  Warren,  Waldoborough  river 
being  the  principal  bound,  and  that  it  be  left  optional 
with  the  churches  in  Washington  and  Patricktown  Planta- 
tion whether  they  would  join  the  new  association  or  not. 
It  was  voted  that  the  churches  in  the  eastern  section 
should  retain  the  name  Lincoln  Association.  The  churches 
in  the  western  section  were  requested  to  send  delegates  to 
meet  on  the  second  Wednesday  in  October  at  the  First 
Baptist  church  in  Nobleborough  for  the  purpose  of  organ- 
izing the  new  association. 

The  following  churches  sent  delegates  to  this  meeting  : 
Bristol  and  Miscongus,^  1st  Nobleborough,  Woolwich,  1st 
Jefferson,  2d  Jefferson,  1st  Whitefield,  2d  Nobleborough, 
Wiscasset,  Waldoborough,  3d  Jefferson,  2d  Whitefield, 
Newcastle  and  Alna,  North  Whitefield,  Patricktown  Plan- 
tation, Washington,  3d  Nobleborough,  and  Damariscotta 
Mills.  The  new  association  received  the  name  Damaris- 
cotta Association.  At  the  first  session  of  the  association, 
held  with  the  Second  Baptist  church  in  Whitefield  Oct.  4 

'  So  spelled  in  the  Minutes  until  1868,  when  it  was  spelled  Muscongrus,  and  so  afterward. 


202  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

and  5,  1843,  the  South  Whitefield  church  was  added  to 
its  membership,  and  the  association  reported  eighteen 
churches,  with  2,151  members.^ 

Lincoln  Association  had  its  Benevolent  Society,  and  the 
churches  comprising  the  Damariscotta  Association,  con- 
nected as  they  had  been  with  the  Lincoln  Association,  had 
a  like  organization  from  the  beginning  of  its  history.  At 
the  first  anniversary  of  the  association,  a  "Committee  pre- 
sented and  read  the  account  of  the  Damariscotta  Baptist 
Benevolent  Society."  In  1849,  a  committee  was  instructed 
to  procure  an  act  of  incorporation,  which  was  done,  and 
this  act  was  accepted  at  the  meeting  of  the  association  in 
1850.  The  object  of  the  society  was  "to  aid  the  widows 
and  families  of  deceased  ministers  who  shall  reside  within 
the  limits  of  this  association  and  shall  stand  in  need  of 
such  assistance,  and  also  the  families  of  sick  and  super- 
annuated ministers  of  the  association  when  such  aid  shall 
be  deemed  necessary."^ 

In  1844,  the  associational  reports  gave  to  the  two  hun- 
dred and  ninety-five  Baptist  churches  in  Maine  a  member- 
ship of  23,860.  At  no  subsequent  time  have  the  Baptists 
of  Maine  reported  so  large  a  membership.  Only  313  bap- 
tisms were  reported  in  1845,  and  the  number  of  baptisms 
in  the  following  years  down  to  1860  was  as  follows :  in 
1846,  275 ;  in  1847,  208 ;  in  1848,  261 ;  in  1849,  231 ;  in  1850, 
616 ;  in  1851,  803  ;  in  1852,  600 ;  in  1853,  738  ;  in  1854,  793 ; 
in  1855,  1,179  ;  in  1856,  835  ;  in  1857,  643  ;  in  1858,  756  ;  in 
1859,  2,455,  and  in  1860,  703.  The  years  1857  and  1858 
were  revival  years.  The  churches  very  generally  shared 
in  the  refreshing  influences  of  the  divine  Spirit.  It  was  a 
pleasant  feature  of  this  '  'refreshing  from  the  presence  of 
the  Lord"  that  the  members  of  the  churches  became  more 
prayerful  and  exercised  a  more  vigorous  faith.    Personal 

*  At  the  meeting-  of  the  Damariscotta  Association  at  Damariscotta,  Sept.  7,  1892,  Rev. 
E.  C.  Whittemore  read  a  very  valuable  paper.  Fifty  Years  of  the  Damariscotta  Associa- 
tion, 1842-1892,  with  Preliminary  Sketches  of  the  Churches  of  which  it  was  Formed. 

'  With  rare  skill  Dea.  Kennedy  and  his  son  and  successor,  Hon.  L.  L.  Kennedy,  have 
managed  this  fund  until  it  has  become  sufficient  for  all  the  demands  usually  made  upon  it, 
and  the  good  accomplished  in  a  quiet  but  efficient  way  by  this  society  is  beyond  estima- 
tion."   Rev.  E.  C.  Whittemore  in  Fifty  Years  of  the  Damariscotta  Association,  p.  15. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  203 

effort  followed.  Christians  felt  that  the  work  of  bringing 
men  to  Christ  was  not  the  work  of  the  Christian  ministry 
only,  but  that  they  also  were  to  be  '  'workers  together  with 
God." 

According  to  the  associational  Minutes,  there  were  in 
1859  two  hundred  and  seventy-eight  Baptist  churches  in 
Maine,  with  a  membership  of  21,435.  The  outlook  for  the 
future,  because  of  the  large  number  of  additions  to  the 
churches  in  1858,  1859  and  1860,  and  because  of  the  new 
life  everywhere  manifested  in  the  membership  of  the 
churches,  was  exceedingly  bright.  But  in  the  political 
life  of  the  nation  the  outlook  was  not  so  encouraging. 
Signs  of  the  impending  conflict  were  everywhere  visible. 

Abraham  Lincoln  was  elected  president  of  the  United 
States  Nov.  6,  1860.  The  South  was  now  aflame.  Before 
Mr.  Lincoln's  inauguration,  March  4,  1861,  seven  of  the 
Southern  States  had  seceded,  and  others  soon  followed. 
April  12th,  occurred  the  bombardment  of  Fort  Sumter  in 
Charleston  harbor,  and  on  the  15th,  after  the  enforced 
withdrawal  of  the  United  States  garrison,  Mr,  Lincoln 
issued  his  call  for  seventy-five  thousand  men,  and  the 
great  conflict  became  inevitable.  In  the  uprising  of  the 
North  that  immediately  followed,  the  members  of  the  Bap- 
tist churches  of  Maine  had  their  part,  as  did  the  members 
of  the  churches  connected  with  other  denominations.  The 
moral  questions  involved  could  not  but  prove  forceful  in 
determining  the  question  of  duty.  Ministers  were  prom- 
inent in  the  public  gatherings  everywhere  held.  There 
was  no  more  thrilling  public  utterance  in  the  State  than 
that  which  throughout  the  four  battle  years  that  followed 
fell  from  the  lips  of  Rev.  A.  K.  P.  Small,  then  pastor  of 
the  First  Baptist  church  in  Bangor.  Many  in  the  mem- 
bership of  our  churches,  as  officers  or  enlisted  men,  found 
their  way  in  Maine  regiments  to  the  battle  fields  of  the 
rebellion,  and  had  a  part  in  the  great  struggle.  Some  of 
them  never  returned.  While  they  were  gone  the  churches 
continued  their  work.  Much  was  done  for  the  relief  of  the 
sick  and  wounded  soldiers  and  sailors.     These  were  dark 


204 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 


days,  days  of  humiliation  and  prayer,  days  of  hope  and 
high  resolve,  and  at  last  came  the  surrender  of  Lee  and 
the  collapse  of  the  Confederacy.  Then,  too,  just  when 
the  nation  was  rejoicing  over  the  end  of  the  long  strug- 
gle, came  the  assassination  of  President  Lincoln.  The 
churches,  which  had  been  decorated  with  flags  because  of 
the  close  of  the  war,  were  now  draped  with  the  emblems 
of  mourning,  and  lessons  of  deepest  significance  found 
expression  in  every  pulpit.  An  era,  the  most  momen- 
tous, had  closed,  and  as  a  new  era  was  now  opening  the 
presence  and  help  of  Almighty  God  were  implored  with 
a  seriousness  and  a  sense  of  entire  dependence  probably 
never  more  deeply  felt. 

Of  the  two  hundred  and  seventy-eight  Baptist  churches 
in  Maine  in  1860,  six  ceased  to  exist  during  the  battle 
years,  and  the  membership  declined  from  21,380  in  1860  to 
19,677  in  1865.  But  never  before  had  the  Baptist  churches 
in  Maine  been  served  with  an  abler  ministry  than  during 
the  Civil  War,  and  when  the  war  came  to  an  end  the 
churches  were  prepared  to  enter  upon  the  new  era  well 
equipped  for  the  growing  demands  that  would  inevitably 
be  laid  upon  them. 

Associations  in  1865. 


■ 

CO 

o 
:3 

2 

.52 
'S 

to 

S 

>  u 
oi3 

1 

'6 

0) 

1 

pEl 

cS 

a>  (D 

X 

O 

§ 

M 

P5h-3 

Q 

w 

Q 

S 

Bowdoinham 

.      24 

24 

51 

34 

37 

2 

24 

1571 

Cumberland 

..      19 

16 

44 

73 

46 

32 

49 

2376 

Damariscott 

a.      15 

8 

6 

13 

18 

13 

39 

1600 

Hancock  .  . . 

.      26 

14 

13 

8 

2 

4 

16 

1738 

Kennebec  . . 

.      18 

14 

49 

16 

22 

18 

15 

1004 

Lincoln 

.      24 

11 

65 

42 

28 

8 

54 

2289 

Oxford 

.      20 

9 

23 

37 

27 

16 

30 

1297 

Penobscot . . 

.      31 

18 

10 

24 

35 

15 

26 

1796 

Piscataquis . 

..      16 

9 

15 

11 

11 

5 

17 

730 

Saco  River.. 

..      17 

12 

70 

17 

25 

10 

19 

1171 

Waldo 

.      18 

9 

23 

12 

28 

34 

16 

928 

Washington 

.      31 

12 

41 

13 

30 

11 

29 

2177 

York. 

13 

10 

19 

15 

9 

8 

14 

1000 

272 

166 

429 

315 

318 

176 

348 

19677 

CHAPTER  XIV. 


Waterville  College. 

Maine  became  a  state  in  1820.  The  act  of  the  legisla- 
ture of  Maine  by  which  the  Maine  Literary  and  Theologi- 
cal Institution  became  Waterville  College  was  passed  Feb. 
5,  1821.  The  annual  meeting  of  the  trustees  of  the  college 
was  held  in  August,  1821,  and  at  this  meeting  Rev.  Daniel 
H.  Barnes,^  a  distinguished  educator  in  New  York,  was 
elected  president  of  the  college.  Probably  from  finan- 
cial reasons  Mr.  Barnes  declined  the  appointment,  and 
Professor  Chaplin,  whose  invaluable  services  in  the  educa- 
tional beginnings  at  Waterville  had  been  overlooked  in  the 
selection  of  Mr.  Barnes,  became  the  first  president  of  the 
college,  with  a  salary  of  $800  and  the  rent  of  his  house. 
Associated  with  President  Chaplin  in  the  work  of  instruc- 
tion was  Prof.  Avery  Briggs,  a  graduate  of  Brown  Uni- 
versity, class  of  1816,  who  had  been  connected  with  the 
work  of  the  Maine  Literary  and  Theological  Institution. 

In  August,  1822,  Rev.  Stephen  Chapin  •■'  was  elected  pro- 
fessor of  theology.  At  this  time  the  number  of  students 
in  the  college  was  seventeen.  There  were  also  five  stu- 
dents in  the  theological  school  and  eight  in  the  prepara- 

'See  Dr.  Champlin's  Historical  Discourse  delivered  at  the  Fiftieth  Anniversary  of 
Colby  University,  p.  28. 

'  Mr.  Chapin  was  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Yarmouth,  and  did  not  enter  upon 
his  duties  at  Waterville  until  a  year  later.  Rev.  J.  C.  Stockbridge,  D.  D.,  in  a  reference 
to  Dr.  Chapin's  ministry  at  Yarmouth,  says  :  "He  graduated  with  distinction  as  a  scholar 
from  Harvard  University  in  1804,  and  studied  theologry  with  the  famous  Dr.  Nathaniel 
Emmons  of  Franklin,  Mass.,  who  was  the  teacher  of  some  of  the  ablest  clergymen  in 
New  England.  No  minister  in  the  Congregational  denomination  in  New  Hampshire 
stood  higher  in  the  regards  of  his  clerical  brethren  and  of  the  Congregational  churches 
than  he.  From  conviction  he  adopted  our  denominational  views,  was  ordained  minister 
of  the  Baptist  church  in  Yarmouth  in  September,  1819,  and  remained  in  office  until 
1822,  when  he  was  called  to  the  professorship  of  theology  in  Waterville  College."  He 
remained  at  Waterville  six  years  and  then  became  president  of  Columbian  College. 
Washington,  D.  C. 


206  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

tory  Latin  School  which  was  held  in  the  college  building. 
The  first  college  building  erected  was  the  brick  dormitory 
now  known  as  South  College,  which  was  erected  in  1821. 
In  1822,  the  trustees  proceeded  with  the  erection  of  North 
College,  known  in  recent  years  as  Chaplin  Hall,  which  was 
destroyed  by  fire  in  1902  and  rebuilt  in  the  following  year. 
The  president's  house,  erected  in  1819,  stood  on  the  pres- 
ent site  of  Memorial  Hall. 

August  21,  1822,  occurred  the  first  commencement  of 
the  college,  when  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts  was  con- 
ferred upon  George  Dana  Boardman,  son  of  Rev.  Sylvanus 
Boardman,  and  Ephraim  Tripp,  son  of  Rev.  John  Tripp, 
and  the  honorary  degree  of  Master  of  Arts  on  Rev.  Samuel 
Wait  of  Georgetown,  D.  C.  Mr.  Boardman  became  a  tutor 
in  the  college,  as  later  also  did  Mr.  Tripp,  when  Mr. 
Boardman  accepted  his  appointment  as  a  missionary  to 
Burma. 

In  1827,  Professor  Briggs  was  transferred  to  the  chair 
of  mathematics  and  natural  philosophy.  In  the  further 
development  of  the  work  of  instruction,  Rev.  Calvin  New- 
ton of  Bellingham,  Mass.,  a  graduate  of  Union  College 
and  Newton  Theological  Institution,  was  added  to  the 
teaching  force  of  the  college  in  1832  as  professor  of  rhet- 
oric and  the  Hebrew  language.  In  the  same  year  Mr. 
John  O'B.  Chaplin,  a  son  of  the  president,  and  a  grad- 
uate of  the  college  in  the  class  of  1825,  who  had  charge 
of  the  Latin  School  from  1826  to  1828,  was  elected  pro- 
fessor of  Latin  and  English  in  the  college. 

These  appointments  indicate  growth,  but  the  growth  was 
slow.  Theological  features  in  the  course  of  instruction 
were  retained,  as  is  seen  in  the  appointment  of  Professor 
Newton  as  professor  of  Hebrew.  President  Chaplin,  in 
addition  to  his  other  duties,  was  made  professor  of  theol- 
ogy in  July,  1829,  and  retained  this  title  until  July,  1832. 
A  medical  department  of  the  college  was  organized,  and  in 
1830-1832,  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine  was  conferred 
upon  fifty-five  students.  By  an  arrangement  with  the 
Clinical  School  of  Medicine  at  Woodstock,  Vt.,  students 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  207 

from  Waterville  College  completed  their  studies  in  that 
institution ;  but  evidently  the  arrangement  did  not  prove 
satisfactory  and  the  medical  department  of  the  college 
was  discontinued. 

An  attempt  was  also  made  to  organize  in  the  college 
a  department  of  manual  labor.  At  the  annual  meeting 
of  the  trustees  in  August,  1827,  the  following  action 
was  taken :  '  'That  it  is  expedient  to  have  a  convenient 
mechanic's  shop  erected  on  the  college  lot,  at  which  such 
students  as  are  disposed  may  employ  themselves  a  small 
portion  of  the  day  in  such  work  as  may  yield  them  some 
profit."  The  prudential  committee  was  charged  with  the 
duty  of  carrying  this  vote  into  execution.  Rev.  Daniel 
Merrill  of  Sedgwick,  who  was  deeply  interested  in  this 
new  movement,  was  made  an  agent  to  collect  funds  for 
the  erection  of  the  proposed  shop.  He  was  successful  in 
securing  the  needed  funds,  and  the  shop  was  erected  in 
1830,  for  the  most  part  by  the  students  of  the  college  ;  and 
work  in  the  manual  labor  department  of  the  college  was 
commenced  in  1831,  under  the  superintendence  of  Mr. 
D.  N.  B.  Coffin.  Subsequently  two  other  shops,  and  two 
storehouses  for  lumber,  were  erected,  chiefly  by  student 
labor.  Students  were  allowed  so  much  an  hour  for  their 
work,  and  were  employed  in  the  manufacture  of  doors, 
blinds,  sashes,  bedsteads,  tables,  chairs,  carriages,  boxes, 
and  also  in  printing. 

The  result  is  stated  by  Dr.  Champlin  in  these  words : 
"As  a  financial  operation,  one  may  readily  guess  the 
result.  The  shops  steadily  ran  the  college  in  debt,  till 
they  absorbed  not  only  the  collections  made  by  Mr.  Mer- 
rill, but  several  thousand  dollars  besides."  ^  For  a  decade 
and  a  little  more,  the  experiment  was  continued  and  then 
abandoned. 

Evidently  from  the  first  some  of  the  friends  of  the 
college  had  not  regarded  President  Chaplin  as  possessing 
qualifications  for  the  most  successful  administration  of  its 

'  Dr.  Champlin's  Historical  Discourse  delivered  at  the  Fiftieth  Anniversary  of  Colby 
University,  p.  10. 


208  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

affairs.  This  appears  in  the  selection  of  Mr.  Barnes  for 
the  presidency  when  the  Maine  Literary  and  Theological 
Institution  became  Waterville  College.  The  trustees  evi- 
dently felt  that  in  the  building  of  the  new  institution, 
which  was  to  be  literary  rather  than  theological,  a  differ- 
ent man  was  needed.  It  was  a  difficult  task,  it  was  seen, 
that  awaited  anyone,  even  the  man  best  equipped  for  the 
position.  But  when  Mr.  Barnes  declined  to  accept  the 
presidency  and  there  was  no  other  candidate  in  view.  Dr. 
Chaplin  happily  stood  ready  to  continue  the  work  he  had 
so  heroically  begun.  Dr.  Champlin,  referring  to  Presi- 
dent Chaplin,  has  well  said  : 

"The  work  before  him  was  great  and  arduous,  for 
which,  however,  by  his  talents,  his  attainments,  and 
above  all,  by  his  steadiness  of  purpose  he  was  admirably 
fitted.  To  start  a  college  in  a  new  state,  such  as  Maine 
was  then,  and  especially  a  college  without  an  endowment, 
as  this  was,  is  no  slight  task.  .  .  .  Few  are  aware  of 
the  self-denial,  the  patience  and  the  persistence  required 
in  such  a  case  in  order  to  sustain  a  college  during  its  novi- 
tiate. These  qualities  seem  to  have  been  possessed  in  an 
eminent  degree  by  Dr.  Chaplin.  With  a  singular  indiffer- 
ence to  everything  like  ease  or  worldly  aggrandizement, 
he  pursued  his  purpose  with  a  calm  persistence  which 
never  faltered  nor  flagged  amidst  the  most  formidable 
difficulties.  During  all  the  thirteen  years  of  his  connec- 
tion with  the  college,  it  was  the  subject  of  his  labors  and 
his  prayers  by  night  and  by  day,  in  term  time  and  in  vaca- 
tion. How  often  do  we  find  on  the  records  of  the  trustees 
votes  like  the  following :  'Voted  that  the  president  be  an 
agent  for  procuring  funds  for  the  college  during  the  ensu- 
ing'vacation. '  And  in  obedience  to  such  votes  he  went 
forth  into  all  parts  of  this  and  the  neighboring  states, 
awakening  an  interest,  and  gathering  up  contributions 
and  students  for  the  college." 

But  here  was  not  to  be  his  life  work.  Dr.  Chaplin 
resigned  the  presidency  of  the  college  in  the  summer  of 
1833.     His  lack  of  tact  in  dealing  with  students  seems 


fflSTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  209 

to  have  been  the  immediate  cause  of  bringing  about  this 
action.  On  the  Fourth  of  July  the  students  organized  an 
anti-slavery  society  and  celebrated  the  event  in  the  even- 
ing on  the  college  grounds.  There  was  much  cheering  in 
connection  with  the  celebration,  and  such  exuberance  of 
spirits  as  young  men  are  wont  to  exhibit  on  such  an  occa- 
sion. This  was  displeasing  to  President  Chaplin,  and  he 
severely  reprimanded  the  students  not  once  but  twice. 
The  students  were  indignant,  and  insisted  that  the  presi- 
dent had  done  them  a  wrong.  Unable  to  bring  the  stu- 
dents to  submission,  the  president  caused  a  meeting  of  the 
trustees  to  be  called.  As  a  result  of  this  meeting  the 
resignations  of  President  Chaplin,  Professor  Conant^  and 
Professor  Chaplin  were  received  and  accepted.  "I  have 
long  regretted,"  said  the  late  Rev.  James  Upham,  D.  D., 
writing  late  in  life,"  but  a  student  in  the  college  at  the 
time  of  the  trouble,  "that  some  wise  friend,  outside  of  the 
college,  could  not  have  interposed  and  laid  his  hands  on 
both  parties,  so  making  peace.  It  is  a  pity  that  the  stu- 
dents, justly  incensed  as  they  were,  could  not  have  real- 
ized that,  in  smiting  the  venerable  president,  they  were 
smiting  their  own  father— the  father  at  least  of  the  col- 
lege, the  one  man  without  whom  the  college  would  have 
had  no  existence ;  who  had  begotten  it ;  cherished  it  and 
brought  it  up  through  the  perils  of  childhood  and  youth 
with  such  toils,  self-sacrifices  and  heartaches  as  are 
beyond  the  possibilities  of  the  present  generation  ade- 
quately even  to  conceive ;  that  they  were  striking  down 
one  of  the  most  godly  men  of  the  age,  who  walked  with 

'  Professor  Conant  was  a  graduate  of  Middlebury  Collegre,  Vt.,  in  1823.  After  a  post- 
gn^aduate  course  of  two  years,  he  was  a  tutor  in  Columbian  College,  Washing-ton,  D.  C. , 
1825-27.  He  then  came  to  Waterville  as  professor  of  the  Latin,  Greek,  and  German  lan- 
guages. He  was  afterward  from  1835  to  1851  professor  of  languages  and  biblical  litera- 
ture in  Hamilton  Literary  and  Theological  Institution  (now  Colgate  University),  and 
from  1851  to  1857  professor  of  the  Hebrew  language  and  biblical  exegesis  in  Rochester 
Theological  Seminary.  In  1857  he  resigned  his  professorship  in  order  to  devote  himself 
to  Bible  revision.  He  was  for  many  years  in  the  service  of  the  American  Bible  Union, 
and  was  also  a  member  of  the  American  Old  Testament  Revision  Committee.  His  rank 
among  American  scholars  was  very  high. 

*  A  communication  in  Zion's  Advocate  in  1883  or  1884. 

15 


210  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

God  as  closely  as  did  Isaiah  or  Enoch ;  one  who  was .  as 
humble  as  he  was  great,  and  habitually  suffered  from  a 
conviction  of  unfitness  for  the  work,  from  which  work  he 
had  fearfully  shrunk  at  first,  and  which  he  accepted  only 
through  the  greater  fear  of  displeasing  God ;  one  who  was 
eminent  in  scholarly  worth,  and  must  ever  occupy  a  high 
place  in  the  roll  of  distinguished  educators  and  college 
founders.     It  is  to  our  shame  that  we  struck  him." 

The  memory  of  the  heroic,  self-sacrificing  labors  of  Dr. 
Chaplin  remained.  As  the  years  went  by  there  was  a 
growing  appreciation  of  his  services,  and  at  the  annual 
meeting  of  the  trustees  in  August,  1841,  resolutions  were 
adopted  "in  grateful  remembrance  of  the  able,  untiring 
and  successful  labors  of  the  late  President  Chaplin,"  and 
a  committee  was  appointed  to  devise  some  monumental 
memorial  of  Dr.  Chaplin^  at  Waterville."  A  marble  tab- 
let, on  which  was  inscribed  an  appropriate  inscription  in 
Latin,  was  prepared.  For  many  years  it  occupied  a  place 
on  the  wall  in  the  rear  of  the  president's  desk  in  the  old 
chapel,  and  when  Memorial  Hall  was  erected  this  tablet 
was  transferred  to  the  western  wall  of  the  new  chapel, 
where  it  still  remains. 

Dr.  Chaplin  was  succeeded  in  the  presidency  in  Septem- 
ber, 1833,  by  Rev.  Rufus  Babcock,  Jr.,  a  graduate  of 
Brown  University,  class  of  1821.  He  had  been  a  tutor  in 
Columbian  College,  also  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in 
Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  and  at  the  time  of  his  election  as 
president  he  was  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Salem, 
Mass.  He  was  thirty-five  years  of  age,  possessed  attrac- 
tive public  address  and  was  believed  to  have  many  excel- 
lent qualifications  for  the  presidency. 

^  Dr.  Chaplin,  after  leaving  Waterville,  was  pastor  at  Rowley,  Mass.,  and  at  Willing- 
ton,  Conn.  His  last  years  were  spent  at  Hamilton,  N.  Y.,  where  he  died  May  7,  1841. 
Hon.  James  Brooks,  editor  of  the  New  York  Evening  Express,  who  was  a  student  at 
Waterville  College  during  the  presidency  of  Dr.  Chaplin,  said  of  him :  "His  discourses 
were  as  clear,  as  cogent,  as  irresistibly  convincing  as  problems  in  Euclid.  He  indulged 
in  little  or  no  ornament,  but  pursued  one  train  of  thought  without  deviation  to  the  end. 
I  attribute  to  him  more  than  to  anyone  else  the  fixture  in  my  own  mind  of  religious 
truths,  which  no  subsequent  reading  has  ever  been  able  to  shake,  and  which  have  princi- 
pally influenced  my  pen  in  treating  of  all  political,  legal  or  moral  subjects,  the  basis  of 
which  was  in  the  principles  of  the  Bible." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  211 

President  Babcock  directed  his  attention  at  once  to  the 
financial  needs  of  the  college.  The  institution  was  in  debt 
to  the  amount  of  $18,000.  It  had  no  means  to  meet  more 
than  three-fifths  of  its  current  expenses,  and  its  credi- 
tors were  becoming  uneasy.^  In  his  inaugural  address, 
Dr.  Babcock  exhibited  a  clear  understanding  of  the  condi- 
tion of  the  college,  and  suggested  measures  for  improving 
its  financial  resources  and  increasing  its  influence.  With 
energy  and  enthusiasm  he  addressed  himself  to  the  task 
upon  which  he  had  entered,  and  in  1834,  the  year  follow- 
ing his  inauguration  as  president,  the  indebtedness  of  the 
college  had  been  removed,  and  for  the  first  time  in  its  his- 
tory the  college  catalogue  showed  an  enrollment  of  over 
one  hundred  students. 

In  1836,  the  trustees  authorized  the  erection  of  a  build- 
ing midway  between  the  two  dormitories  to  be  used  as 
a  chapel  and  for  recitation-room  purposes.  The  archi- 
tect was  Thomas  U.  Walter,  a  prominent  Baptist  in  Phila- 
delphia, and  afterward  the  architect  of  the  capitol  at 
Washington  as  rebuilt  in  accordance  with  plans  which 
he  submitted  in  1851.  The  recitation  rooms  were  in  the 
basement,  above  was  the  chapel,  and  above  the  chapel 
were  the  library  and  a  room  for  the  philosophical  appa- 
ratus, also  used  as  a  recitation  room.  A  tower,  afterward 
somewhat  reduced  in  size,  crowned  the  structure.  The 
estimated  value  of  the  college  property  was  now  $50,000. 

An  important  need  of  the  college  at  this  time  was  a 
larger  and  better  library,  and  Rev.  John  0.  Choules,  pas- 
tor of  the  Baptist  church  in  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  was 
made  an  agent  of  the  college  for  the  purpose  of  enlarg- 
ing the  library.  Dr.  Choules  was  a  native  of  Bristol, 
England,  and  was  about  to  visit  his  old  home.  While  in 
England,  he  obtained  from  the  British  government  and 
private  individuals  about  fifteen  hundred  valuable  books, 
which  at  once  found  their  way  to  Waterville,  and  greatly 
increased  the  efficiency  of  the  library. 

'  History  of  the  Higrher  Education  in  Maine,  by  Edward  W.  Hall,  LL.  D.,  Librarian  of 
Colby  College,  p.  110.  I  am  indebted  to  this  admirable  history  for  much  valuable  infor- 
mation concerning  the  college  at  Waterville. 


212  HISTORY  OP  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

President  Babcock  was  not  long  in  discovering  the 
growing  opposition  to  the  college  in  Baptist  circles  in 
Maine  on  account  of  the  elimination  of  the  theological 
features  of  the  institution  as  originally  organized,  and  he 
sought  to  remove  the  opposition  by  making  provision  in 
the  college  for  theological  instruction.  He  called  atten- 
tion to  the  fact  that  a  theological  class  was  at  that  time 
pursuing  theological  studies  in  the  college,  the  course  as 
arranged  being  limited  to  a  single  year.  It  was  evidently 
the  hope  of  Dr.  Babcock  and  the  friends  of  Waterville 
College  that  this  provision  for  theological  instruction  at 
Waterville  would  bring  harmony  into  the  divided  ranks  of 
the  denomination,  and  win  back  to  the  support  of  the  col- 
lege those  who  had  been  aggrieved  on  account  of  the 
change  by  which  the  theological  features  of  the  institution 
had  early  disappeared.    But  this  hope  was  not  realized. 

Nor  were  Dr.  Babcock 's  labors  in  behalf  of  the  college 
long  continued.  A  severe  pulmonary  attack,  in  the  early 
part  of  1836,  had  admonished  him  that  he  must  seek  a 
milder  climate  for  residence  and  his  resignation  followed 
July  18th.  ^  To  the  trustees  this  was  a  great  disappoint- 
ment, but  they  addressed  themselves  at  once  to  the  task 
of  finding  a  worthy  successor. 

Such  a  successor  was  found  in  Rev.  Robert  E.  Pattison,  a 
graduate  of  Amherst  College,  and  pastor  of  the  First  Bap- 
tist church  in  Providence,  R.  I. ,  who  had  served  the  college 
at  Waterville  as  professor  of  mathematics  in  1828-9.  He 
was  thirty-six  years  of  age,  possessed  strong  intellectual 
gifts,  teaching  ability,  and  was  very  impressive  in  pub- 
lic address.  Rev.  Dr.  Joseph  Ricker,  who  was  a  student 
in  the  college  from  1835  to  1839,  says^  that  President  Pat- 
tison's  administration  "marked  the  palmiest  period  in  the 
history  of  the  college  under  its  original  name."  In  the 
matter  of  cash  endowment  it  was  bankrupt,  but  in  spirit 

^  Dr.  Babcock  became  pastor  of  the  Spring  St.  Baptist  church  in  Philadelphia,  subse- 
quently was  pastor  in  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  and  Paterson,  N.  J., 
and  died  in  Salem,  Mass.,  May  4,  1875,  while  on  a  visit  among  his  old  parishioners. 

*  Personal  Recollections,  p.  93. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  213 

it  was  rich.  "The  half  has  not  been  told,"  adds  Dr. 
Ricker,  "when  it  is  said  that  its  president's  executive 
abilities  were  of  a  high  order.  He  was  a  royal  teacher 
as  well.  His  power  to  inspire  his  pupils  was  of  a  rare 
quality.  His  relations  to  such  of  them  as  had  worthy 
aims,  and  were  doing-  their  best  to  realize  them,  were 
very  close.  They  were  not  so  much  those  of  the  master 
as  of  the  father  and  brother."  In  the  college  at  that  time 
were  such  students  as  Martin  B.  Anderson,  Oakman  S. 
Stearns,  Samuel  L.  Caldwell ;  indeed  at  no  period  of  its 
history  has  there  been  a  more  brilliant  student  body  at 
Waterville  than  at  that  time.  The  class  graduated  in  1839 
numbered  eighteen,  and  was  the  largest  class  the  college 
had  thus  far  graduated. 

But  the  financial  affairs  of  the  college  were  in  a  sad  con- 
dition. June  12,  1839,  a  conference  of  the  friends  of  the 
institution  was  held  at  Hallowell,  and  a  movement  was 
organized  for  the  relief  of  the  college ;  but  the  move- 
ment was  not  successful,  and  President  Pattison  resigned 
in  December,  "impelled  thereto,"  says  Dr.  Ricker,  "by 
the  desperate  financial  straits  to  which  the  college  was 
reduced,  and  also  by  the  hope  that  a  step  so  extreme 
would  prove  a  bugle  call  to  the  denomination  to  hasten 
to  the  rescue. ' '  It  was  a  dark  day  for  the  college.  The 
country  had  passed  through  a  financial  crisis  of  great 
severity,  and  the  money  resources  of  the  Baptists  of  Maine 
had  been  greatly  crippled.  So  well-nigh  hopeless  were  the 
conditions  that  it  was  virtually  decided  to  close  the  college 
indefinitely.^  Most  of  the  professors  tendered  their  resig- 
nations. Prof.  George  W.  Keeley,  one  of  the  strongest 
men  of  the  many  strong  men  who  have  served  the  college 
on  its  board  of  instruction,  urged  his  associates  to  remain 
until  one  more  effort  could  be  made  to  save  the  college. 
They  remained,  and  the  decision  to  suspend  was  revoked. 
The  faculty  and  the  friends  of  the  college  in  Waterville 
subscribed  $10,000.  The  Baptists  throughout  the  State 
and  beyond  responded  to  the  calls  which  were  made  in  the 

'  Dr.  Ricker's  Personal  Recollections,  p.  302. 


214  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

columns  of  Zion's  Advocate  from  week  to  week,  and  Dec. 
11,  1840,  the  glad  announcement  was  made  that  $50,000 
had  been  subscribed  for  the  relief  of  Waterville  College. 
That  was  a  great  day  in  the  history  of  the  educational 
interests  of  the  Baptists  of  Maine. 

A  successor  to  President  Pattison  was  now  to  be  found. 
At  the  meeting  of  the  trustees  in  connection  with  the  com- 
mencement in  August,  1841,  Mr.  Eliphaz  Fay,  a  classmate 
of  President  Babcock  at  Brown  University,  was  elected 
president  of  the  college.  A  lawyer  by  profession,  he  was 
at  that  time  principal  of  Dutchess  Academy,  Poughkeep- 
sie,  N.  Y.,  and  it  was  believed  that  he  possessed  high 
qualifications  for  the  presidency.  Evidently  in  this  there 
was  disappointment.  Dr.  E.  W.  Hall  says  there  is  "some 
ground  for  believing  that  the  faculty  and  President  Fay 
did  not  work  harmoniously,"  and  in  August,  1843,  Mr.  Fay 
presented  his  resignation,  which  was  accepted,  though  a 
petition  from  a  majority  of  the  students  in  college  against 
its  acceptance  was  presented  to  the  trustees.^ 

The  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Waterville  at  that 
time  was  Rev.  David  N.  Sheldon,  a  graduate  of  Williams 
College  in  1830,  and  of  Newton  Theological  Institution  in 
1835.  From  1835  to  1839,  he  was  connected  with  Baptist 
missionary  work  in  France.  From  May  16,  1840,  to  Nov. 
5,  1841,  he  was  pastor  of  the  Granville  St.  Baptist  church 
in  Halifax,  N.  S.  Then  he  came  to  Waterville.  He  had 
been  in  Waterville  a  little  more  than  a  year  when  he 
was  called  to  the  presidency  of  the  college.  An  untir- 
ing scholar,  he  had  enriched  his  mind  while  abroad  by 
acquaintance  with  the  best  French  and  German  writers. 
Already  he  was  in  sympathetic  relations  with  the  faculty 
and  the  students,  and  with  his  election  as  president  better 
days  for  the  college  soon  returned.  Dr.  Sheldon  remained 
in  the  presidency  of  the  college  until  the  summer  of  1852. 
During  the  latter  part  of  his  administration  he  was  not  in 
harmonious  relations  with  the  denomination.     In  1844,  he 

^  History  of  Higher  Education  in  Maine,  p.  113.    Mr.  Fay  returned  to  Poughkeepsie,  N. 
Y.,  where  he  died  March  19,  1854. 


m 


JAMES  T.    CHAMPLIN,   D.  D.,  LL.  D. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  215 

preached  a  sermon  before  the  Maine  Baptist  Convention  at 
China,  which  awakened  dissent  and  discussion.  Among 
those  who  were  especially  dissatisfied  with  reference  to 
the  doctrinal  statements  in  the  sermon  was  Rev.  N.  M. 
Wood,  Dr.  Sheldon's  successor  in  the  pastorate  of  the 
Baptist  church  in  Waterville,  and  Mr.  Wood  and  Dr. 
Sheldon  carried  on  an  extended  theological  discussion  in 
the  columns  of  Zion's  Advocate.  In  this  discussion  the 
divergence  of  Dr.  Sheldon's  views  ^  from  those  held  by 
Baptists  was  made  to  appear,  and  hastened  his  resignation 
as  president  of  the  college.^ 

The  trustees  now  turned  again  to  Dr.  Pattison,  whose 
brilliant  service  for  the  college  from  1836  to  1839  was 
still  well  remembered.  Dr.  Pattison  accepted  this  second 
appointment  and  entered  upon  his  duties  in  the  autumn  of 
1854,  but  failing  health,  after  three  years  of  splendid  ser- 
vice, compelled  him  to  tender  his  resignation.* 

President  Pattison's  successor  was  found  in  the  faculty 
of  the  college  in  the  person  of  the  professor  of  the  Greek 
and  Latin  languages.  Rev.  James  T.  Champlin.  A  grad- 
uate of  Brown  University  in  1834,  he  had  served  as  a  tutor 
in  the  university,  and  also  from  1838  to  1841  as  pastor  of 
the  First  Baptist  church  in  Portland.     He  then  came  to 

'  These  views,  though  more  clearly  divergent,  were  expressed  in  a  volume  subsequently 
published  by  Dr.  Sheldon,  entitled  Sin  and  Redemption.  At  a  meeting  of  the  Maine  Bap- 
tist Convention,  held  in  Rockland  June  17,  1856,  on  motion  of  Dr.  Adam  Wilson  a  commit- 
tee was  appointed  "to  consider  and  report  whether  any,  and  if  any  what  action  should  be 
taken  by  this  body  in  reference  to  a  volume  entitled  'Sin  and  Redemption,'  recently  pub- 
lished by  one  of  its  members."  This  committee  consisted  of  A.  Wilson,  H.  V.  Dexter. 
Isaac  Sawyer,  Wm.  Tilley,  J.  M.  Follett,  L.  B.  Allen,  N.  Butler  and  N.  M.  Wood.  The 
committee  reported  the  following  resolution,  which  after  considerable  discussion— appar- 
ently the  whole  evening  was  devoted  to  it— was  adopted  :  "Resolved,  That  the  main  doc- 
trines of  the  work  entitled  'Sin  and  Redemption'  recently  published  by  a  member  of  this 
body  are,  in  the  view  of  this  convention,  essentially  unscriptural  and  fatally  erroneous." 

'Soon  after  retiring  from  the  presidency  of  the  college.  Dr.  Sheldon  returned  to  the 
pastorate,  accepting  a  call  to  serve  the  Elm  St.  Baptist  church  in  Bath.  He  entered 
upon  his  labors  there  in  February,  1853.  His  position  became  an  increasingly  uncom- 
fortable one  and  he  resigned  in  1855.  Subsequently  he  became  pastor  of  the  Unitarian 
church  in  Bath.  In  1862,  he  returned  to  Waterville  and  accepted  the  pastorate  of  the 
Unitarian  church  in  that  place.     He  died  in  Waterville  Oct.  4,  1889. 

^  Dr.  Pattison  was  subsequently  connected  with  the  Oread  Institute  at  Worcester, 
Mass.,  Shurtleff  College  at  Alton,  111.,  and  the  Union  Theological  Seminary  at  Chicago. 
He  died  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  Nov.  21,  1874. 


216  HISTORY  OP  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

Waterville  and  entered  upon  what  proved  to  be  his  life 
work.  When  elected  president  of  the  college  in  1857,  he 
had  already  won  wide  recognition  as  a  scholar  by  his  edi- 
tion of  Demosthenes  on  the  Crown  and  other  educational 
works.  The  University  of  Rochester,  in  1855,  had  con- 
ferred upon  him  the  honorary  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divin- 
ity. President  Champlin  at  once  addressed  himself  to  the 
duties  of  his  office.  The  needs  of  the  college  he  already 
clearly  understood.  In  his  inaugural  address  he  said : 
'  'Entering  upon  my  duties  at  an  important  crisis  in  the 
history  of  the  institution,  I  see  nothing  but  labor  and 
responsibility  before  me."  But  the  prospect  did  not  dis- 
courage him.  Indeed,  in  labor  and  responsibility  he  found, 
as  he  said,  his  "chief  incitement."  And  he  added:  "If 
Waterville  College,  in  its  present  state  of  maturity,  and 
with  its  acknowledged  advantages  of  situation,  etc.,  does 
not  for  the  future  make  reasonable  progress,  it  will  be 
either  from  the  want  of  proper  management  here,  or  for 
the  want  of  proper  co-operation  and  support  among  its 
friends."  In  the  spirit  of  these  words,  recognizing  fully 
the  obstacles  to  be  overcome.  Dr.  Champlin  entered  intelli- 
gently and  vigorously  upon  his  new  task. 

The  college  at  that  time  had  three  buildings  very  much 
out  of  repair,  and  an  invested  fund  of  about  $12,000  or 
$15,000.  To  increase  this  fund  was  a  matter  of  present 
urgent  necessity,  and  Dr.  Champlin,  like  the  business 
man  he  was,  directed  his  attention  first  of  all  to  the 
financial  needs  of  the  college.  In  1859,  Rev.  Horace  T. 
Love  was  made  financial  agent  of  the  college.  Mr.  Love 
succeeded  in  obtaining  subscriptions  to  the  amount  of 
$25,000,  and  then  relinquished  his  agency.  Dr.  Champlin 
and  other  members  of  the  faculty  continued  the  work,  but 
their  self-denying  labors  were  not  crowned  with  great 
success.  Soon  after  occurred  the  Civil  War.  The  stu- 
dents of  the  college  joined  in  the  great  uprising  that 
characterized  the  beginnings  of  this  great  struggle  for 
national  life.  Among  the  first  to  enlist  in  Waterville  were 
some  of  the  students,  and  the  number  of  students  steadily 


GARDNER  COLBY. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  217 

diminished  as  the  war  was  in  progress.  In  1860  and  1861, 
the  catalogue  recorded  the  names  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty-two  students.  In  the  catalogue  of  1864,  only  sixty- 
two  students  were  enrolled. 

In  the  early  part  of  1864,  Dr.  Champlin  was  in  Boston, 
and  in  an  interview  with  Rev.  Jonah  G.  Warren,  D.  D., 
corresponding  secretary  of  the  American  Baptist  Mission- 
ary Union,  he  learned  that  Mr.  Gardner  Colby,  a  wealthy 
Boston  merchant,  whose  home  was  in  Newton,  Mass., 
some  of  whose  early  years  were  spent  in  Winslow  and 
Waterville,  and  whose  mother  Dr.  Chaplin,  the  first  presi- 
dent of  the  college,  had  befriended,  was  meditating  gener- 
ous purposes  with  reference  to  Waterville  College.  Dr. 
Champlin  at  once  called  on  Mr.  Colby,  made  known  to  him 
the  financial  condition  of  the  college,  and  secured  from 
him  the  acceptance  of  an  invitation  to  visit  the  college 
at  the  approaching  commencement.  Mr.  Colby  came  to 
Waterville  at  the  time,  and  on  commencement  day  Presi- 
dent Champlin  received  from  Mr.  Colby  a  letter  dated 
Waterville,  Aug.  10,  1864,  in  which  he  announced  his  pur- 
pose to  give  Waterville  College  $50,000,^  one-half  when 
other  subscriptions  should  amount  to  $100,000,  independ- 
ent of  Mr.  Colby's,  and  the  other  half  when  $100,000  had 

^Mr.  Colby's  son.  Rev.  Henry  F.  Colby,  D.  D.,  of  Dayton,  O.,  in  his  memorial  sketch  of 
his  father,  pp.  38-40,  makes  mention  of  the  circumstances,  so  providential,  which  led  up 
to  this  gift :  "It  was  the  evening  of  the  day  of  prayer  for  colleges.  The  late  Dr.  Samuel 
B.  Swaim  was  present  at  the  prayer  meeting  [at  Newton  Center],  and  related,  as  in  har- 
mony with  the  thought  of  the  hour,  an  incident  which  occurred  in  his  early  ministry  at 
Portland  [he  was  then  a  student  at  Newton  and  was  in  Portland  as  a  supply].  As  he 
entered,  he  said,  the  house  of  one  of  his  parishioners  for  a  pastoral  call,  he  met  Dr.  Chap- 
lin, then  president  of  Waterville  College,  just  about  to  leave  it,  evidently  an  unsuccessful 
solicitor  for  aid  in  behalf  of  the  college.  As  he  stood  there,  hat  in  hand,  he  groaned  out, 
'God  help  Waterville  College!'  The  picture  of  the  self-denying  servant  of  Christ  standing 
in  that  doorway  and  thus  giving  vent  to  his  overburdened  heart,  had  remained  indelible 
in  the  memory  of  Dr.  Swaim ;  and  of  course  he  described  it  with  earnest  feeling.  Mr. 
Colby  was  present  at  the  prayer  meeting,  and  heard  the  story  and  its  application.  That 
night  meditating  upon  his  bed,  as  he  was  wont  to  do,  sleepless  and  restless,  he  finally  said 
to  his  wife,  'Suppyose  I  give  fifty  thousand  dollars  to  Waterville  College.'  Always  ready 
to  encourage  him  in  any  noble  purpose  she  gave  her  approval  to  his  thought.  He  con- 
tinued, as  the  days  rolled  by,  to  think  of  the  matter.  He  considered  what  might  be  the 
results  of  the  gift,  and  what  would  probably  be  the  sad  results  unless  he  or  some  one 
else  should  come  to  the  rescue  of  that  seat  of  learning.  .  .  .  The  more  he  thought 
and  prayed  over  it,  the  clearer  the  conviction  became  that  God  called  upon  him  to  do  it, 
and  the  next  Augrust  the  gift  was  made." 


218  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

actually  been  paid  on  the  other  subscriptions,  all  on  the 
condition  that  the  president,  and  a  majority  of  the  faculty, 
shall  be  members  in  good  standing  in  regular  Baptist 
churches.  Should  either  or  any  of  these  conditions  be 
broken,  then  the  $50,000  would  revert  to  Mr.  Colby,  or  to 
his  heirs  or  assigns. 

The  contents  of  this  letter  were  made  known  to  the 
alumni  and  friends  of  the  college  at  the  commencement 
dinner.  Rev.  F.  W.  Bakeman,  D.  D.,  who  was  then  a 
student  in  the  college,  has  given  a  graphic  account  of  the 
scene  when  the  announcement  of  this  proposed  gift  was 
made. 

"Dr.  Champlin  arose  and  stood  a  brief  pause,  as  if  to 
command  the  unreserved  attention  of  the  company.  How 
pale  he  looked  !  How  strangely  his  voice  seemed  to  shake 
as  he  spoke !  There  were  no  tears  in  his  eyes,  but  there 
was  in  his  utterance  what  makes  tears.  As  long  as  I 
live  I  shall  recall  the  grand  old  man  in  that  historic  hour, 
which  was  to  him  the  victor's  crown,  after  years  of  hard- 
est warfare.  And  now  the  announcement  was  given  that 
the  gentleman  at  his  side,  a  short,  plump  little  man,  with 
a  benevolent  appearing  face,  who  might  have  been  taken 
for  one  of  the  Cheery ble  brothers,  had  made  the  definite 
and  formal  proposition  to  give  the  college  the  sum  of 
$50,000  as  a  permanent  fund,  on  condition  that  the  friends 
of  the  institution  should  add  $100,000.  The  announce- 
ment ran  through  the  company  like  a  kindling  fire.  Mr. 
Colby  was  known  to  few ;  his  intention  was  known  to 
fewer  still.  The  rumor  had  not  got  abroad.  It  was  a 
genuine  surprise.  For  a  moment  there  was  stillness,  as 
in  the  hush  before  the  breaking  of  the  tempest— and 
then— there  was  a  tempest— a  wild  demonstration  of  joy 
and  glad  surprise,  such  as  I  have  never  since  witnessed. 
Hands,  feet,  voices,  knives  and  forks  rapping  on  the 
tables,  all  bore  part  in  the  concert  of  applause.  Men 
shook  hands,  and  fairly  hugged  each  other  in  their  trans- 
ports of  joy.  Such  unfeigned  delight  is  seldom  seen.  The 
hall  rang  again  and  again  to  their  cheers.    It  seemed  as  if 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  219 

they  would  never  stop.  The  fountains  of  affection  had 
been  broken  up,  and  their  torrents  could  not  be  easily 
checked." 

Mr.  Colby's  challenge  to  the  alumni  and  friends  of  the 
college  was  promptly  accepted.  All  beheld  the  signs  of 
a  new  era,  and  Dr.  Champlin  and  his  associates  entered  at 
once  upon  the  great  task  before  them. 


CHAPTER  XV. 


The  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Society  and  the 
Maine  Baptist  Convention. 

Toward  the  close  of  the  first  quarter  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  the  Baptists  of  Maine  felt  the  need  of  a 
closer  union  and  fellowship.  The  associational  relation- 
ship had  been  in  the  highest  degree  helpful  in  bringing 
the  churches  together,  and  in  awakening  and  developing 
interest  in  missionary  work  at  home  and  abroad.  But  the 
inquiry  became  urgent.  Would  not  an  organization  sup- 
ported by  all  the  churches  in  the  State,  and  having  in 
view  the  advancement  of  the  general  interests  of  the 
denomination,  give  an  added  impetus  to  the  work  in  which 
the  churches  had  become  so  deeply  interested  ?  At  the 
meeting  of  the  Cumberland  Association  at  Bridgton,  Oct. 
2  and  3,  1822,  this  inquiry  was  evidently  in  the  minds  of 
some  of  the  delegates,  for  it  was  voted,  "that  brethren 
Chapin,  Haynes  and  Tripp  be  a  committee  to  inquire  into 
the  expediency  of  a  general  association  throughout  the 
State."  In  all  probability  Mr.  Chapin,  still  pastor  of  the 
church  in  Yarmouth,  was  the  leader  in  this  movement. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Cumberland  Association  at  Bruns- 
wick, Oct.  1  and  2,  1823,  the  above  committee  made  an 
extended  report,  recommending  such  a  general  conven- 
tion:  "It  would  have  a  happy  tendency  to  cultivate  a 
spirit  of  brotherly  love— to  concentrate  religious  intelli- 
gence from  the  several  associations  and  from  other  reli- 
gious societies  with  which  they  may  correspond— and  to 
promote  an  increasing  unanimity  among  churches  in  devis- 
ing and  carrying  into  execution  such  gospel  measures  as 
may  be  thought  to  subserve  the  general  interests  of  Zion 
in  this  State,  and  as  far  as  its  influence  may  extend." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  221 

The  report  was  accepted,  and  five  delegates  were  ap- 
pointed to  assist  in  organizing  the  Convention,  viz.,  John 
Tripp,  Benjamin  Titcomb,  Thomas  B.  Ripley,  John  B. 
Swanton  and  David  Nelson.  John  Haynes  was  appointed 
a  committee  "to  give  information  to  the  church  in  Read- 
field  that  the  delegates  will  hold  the  proposed  meeting  in 
that  town  if  agreeable."  For  some  reason  it  was  decided 
to  hold  the  proposed  meeting  in  Winthrop  instead  of  Read- 
field.  June  23d,  delegates  from  the  York,  Cumberland, 
Bowdoinham  and  Lincoln  Associations  assembled  in  the 
Baptist  meeting-house.  After  devotional  services  and  a 
sermon  by  Rev.  Stephen  Chapin,  the  delegates  presented 
their  credentials.  The  following  were  present :  From  the 
York  Association,  William  Coding,  Ebenezer  P.  Kinsman 
and  Charles  Blanchard ;  from  the  Cumberland  Associa- 
tion, John  Tripp,  T.  B.  Ripley  and  David  Nelson ;  from 
the  Bowdoinham  Association,  Robert  Low,  Avery  Briggs 
and  John  Haynes  ;  from  the  Lincoln  Association,  Phinehas 
Pilsbury,  Adam  Wilson  and  Hezekiah  Prince.  The  East- 
ern Maine  Association  was  not  represented  by  delegates. 
Rev.  William  Johnson,  of  that  association,  was  present, 
however,  and  with  Rev.  Stephen  Chapin,  Rev.  Daniel 
Chessman  and  Calvin  Stockbridge,  of  other  associations, 
was  invited  to  a  seat  in  the  Convention. 

Rev.  John  Tripp  was  made  chairman,  and  Rev.  John 
Haynes,  clerk.  The  expediency  of  organizing  a  Baptist 
Convention  was  then  considered  by  the  delegates,  and 
after  discussion  it  was  voted  unanimously  that  such  a  Con- 
vention should  be  formed.  A  committee  was  appointed  to 
prepare  a  constitution  for  the  proposed  organization. 

On  the  following  day  this  committee  made  a  report. 
The  objects  of  the  new  organization  were  thus  stated : 
"1.  To  promote  a  more  general  acquaintance  between  the 
churches  and  associations  in  the  State.  2.  To  afford  more 
effectual  assistance  to  feeble  and  destitute  churches,  and 
at  least  to  sympathize  with  aged  and  infirm  ministers,  and 
such  as  are  otherwise  in  distress.  3.  The  better  to  assist 
such  as  are  entering  into  the  ministry.     4.     To  cultivate 


222  .  HISTORY    OF    THE    BAPTISTS    IN    MAINE. 

brotherly  love.  5.  To  promote  a  still  greater  union  in 
doctrine  and  church  discipline.  6.  To  promote  domestic 
and  foreign  missions.  7.  To  concentrate  the  wisdom  and 
efforts  of  the  denomination  in  the  State,  in  devising  and 
carrying  into  execution  such  gospel  measures  as  may  be 
thought  to  subserve  the  general  interest  of  Zion  in  this 
State,  and  as  far  as  our  influence  may  extend." 

This  statement  of  the  objects  of  the  Convention  was 
followed  by  a  note  :  *  'It  is  deemed  proper  to  state  explic- 
itly that  the  design  of  this  Convention  is  not  to  create 
an  ecclesiastical  tribunal  to  take  cognizance  of  cases  of 
church  discipline,  or  to  infringe  in  any  measure  on  the 
independence  of  the  churches  or  associations."  The  Bap- 
tist churches  in  Maine,  like  Baptist  churches  elsewhere, 
prized  their  independence  and  were  not  inclined  to  submit 
to  any  interference  with  their  rights  as  believers  in  Christ. 
Evidently  opposition  from  this  point  of  view  had  been 
made  to  the  proposed  organization,  and  it  was  deemed 
wise  that  the  views  of  those  who  were  active  in  the 
formation  of  the  Convention  should  thus  distinctly  be 
placed  on  record.  The  draft  of  a  constitution  was  also 
presented. 

After  the  adoption  of  the  preliminary  statement  and  the 
constitution,  the  following  officers  were  elected  :  Rev.  Dr. 
Jeremiah  Chaplin,  president ;  Rev.  John  Haynes,  clerk ; 
Rev.  Thomas  B.  Ripley,  corresponding  secretary ;  Prof. 
Avery  Briggs,  treasurer.  An  agent,  also,  in  each  asso- 
ciation was  appointed  '*to  receive  all  moneys  and  pay  the 
same  to  the  treasurer,"  viz.,  York,  Joshua  Roberts  ;  Cum- 
berland, Calvin  Stockbridge ;  Bowdoinham,  John  Hovey, 
Esq.  ;  Lincoln,  H.  Prince,  Esq.  ;  Eastern  Maine,  Daniel 
Faulkner.  President  Chaplin  was  appointed  to  preach  the 
annual  sermon  at  the  next  meeting.  A  committee  was 
raised  to  devise  means  for  securing  funds  for  missionary 
and  other  objects  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of 
the  constitution,  and  it  was  voted  to  place  the  proceed- 
ings with  reference  to  the  organization  of  the  Convention 
before  the  several  associations. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  223 

One  of  the  objects  of  the  Convention  as  formally  stated 
was  "to  afford  more  effectual  assistance  to  feeble  and 
destitute  churches, "  while  the  constitution  indicated  how 
funds  might  be  applied  "towards  the  extension  of  the 
religion  of  Christ  by  means  of  this  Convention."  The 
missionary  objects  of  the  Convention  were  early  made 
prominent.  At  the  second  meeting  held  at  Nobleborough, 
June  22,  1825,  it  was  voted  '  'that  the  money  now  in  the 
treasury,  and  all  that  may  come  into  the  treasury  during 
the  recess,  designated  for  foreign  missions,  be  paid  over 
to  Dea.  Heman  Lincoln  of  Boston."  A  committee,  to 
determine  in  what  way  the  money  now  in  the  treasury 
designed  for  domestic  missions  shall  be  appropriated, 
reported  that  one-half  of  the  money  be  expended  in  Ban- 
gor and  vicinity,  and  the  other  half  at  Belfast,  on  the 
islands,  and  in  the  vicinity  adjacent.  A  committee  was 
also  appointed  to  obtain  and  employ  missionaries,  and 
another  committee  was  appointed  to  draft  a  plan  for  mis- 
sionary circuits. 

Rev.  Adam  Wilson  evidently  inspired  this  last  action. 
During  the  session  he  read  a  paper  in  which  he  said  :  '  'Let 
these  destitute  churches  be  arranged  into  circuits  of  from 
two  to  four  churches  in  a  circuit.  Let  a  preacher  for  each 
circuit  be  appointed  by  this  Convention  for  one  year.  Let 
the  Convention  stipulate  the  compensation  which  the  indi- 
vidual shall  receive.  Let  the  preacher  have  his  stated 
appointment  through  his  circuit ;  and  let  each  church  con- 
tribute according  to  its  ability  to  his  support.  Some  will 
wholly  support  their  ministers,  others  will  nearly  do  it, 
and  all  will  do  something.  If  at  the  close  of  the  year  one 
church  is  found  able  and  disposed  to  settle  a  pastor,  let 
them  be  encouraged  to  do  it.  The  other  churches  in  that 
circuit  may  be  attached  to  other  circuits,  or  the  remaining 
churches  in  the  circuit  may  have  so  much  increased  as  to 
need  all  the  labors  of  the  circuit  preacher." 

At  an  adjourned  meeting  of  the  Convention  held  at 
Bath  Oct.  6,  1825,  it  was  stated  that  the  Massachusetts 
Baptist  Missionary  Society  had  offered  the  services  of  two 


224  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

of  its  missionaries,  Ezra  Going-  and  Whitman  Metcalf ,  for 
three  months  each,  under  the  direction  of  the  Convention. 
The  offer  was  accepted  and  Messrs.  Case,  Fogg  and  Wash- 
burn were  appointed  to  designate  their  fields  of  labor. 
Fifty  dollars,  also,  had  been  voted  to  the  Convention  by 
the  Massachusetts  Baptist  Missionary  Society  upon  condi- 
tion that  a  suitable  missionary  be  stationed  for  one  year  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  White  Mountains,  and  Rev.  Nathaniel 
Chase  was  assigned  to  this  field.  The  sum  of  fifty  dollars 
from  the  treasury  of  the  Convention  was  also  appropri- 
ated to  him.  Rev.  Isaac  Case  was  appointed  to  labor 
six  months  in  four  churches  in  Gardiner,  Litchfield  and 
Barden,  and  an  appropriation  of  fifty  dollars  was  made 
to  him.  Rev.  Duncan  Dunbar  was  employed  for  three 
months  to  solicit  funds  in  aid  of  the  benevolent  objects  of 
the  Convention. 

Meanwhile  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Society  con- 
tinued its  work,  expending  annually  several  hundred 
dollars.  In  1822,  it  reported  $450  in  the  treasury  and  in 
1823,  $335.  On  the  day  following  the  organization  of 
the  Convention,  a  meeting  of  the  Missionary  Society  was 
held  at  the  home  of  Rev.  Isaac  Case  in  Readfield.  The 
officers  elected  were  prominent  in  the  organization  of  the 
Convention.  Appointments  were  made  for  missionary  ser- 
vice as  usual,  and  the  society  voted  to  hold  its  annual 
meetings  at  the  place  where  the  meetings  of  the  Conven- 
tion were  held  and  on  the  following  day.  There  is  no  indi- 
cation in  the  records  of  either  organization  that  any  but 
the  most  harmonious  relations  existed  between  the  two, 
yet  both  organizations  were  receiving  funds,  appointing 
missionaries  and  superintending  missionary  work  in  a  sim- 
ilar manner.  The  question  soon  inevitably  arose.  Why 
two  Baptist  organizations  for  missionary  work  in  Maine  ? 

At  the  meeting  of  the  trustees  of  the  Missionary  Soci- 
ety, held  in  Nobleborough  June  23,  1825,  it  was  "Voted, 
to  raise  a  committee  of  five  to  take  into  consideration 
whether  it  be  for  the  interest  of  Zion  that  the  Maine  Bap- 
tist Missionary  Society  should  be  dissolved  and  incorpo- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  225 

rated  with  the  Convention  of  Maine."  This  committee 
reported  at  an  adjourned  meeting,  held  in  Bath  October 
7th,  but  the  character  of  the  report  is  not  indicated  in  the 
records.  As  the  Society  voted  that  the  report  be  laid 
over  till  the  next  meeting,  and  the  records  of  the  next 
meeting,  held  in  Livermore  Oct.  5,  1826,  contain  no  refer- 
ence to  the  report,  it  may  be  inferred  that  it  was  not 
deemed  best  to  take  any  action,  certainly  at  that  time. 

Indeed  at  this  meeting,  Oct.  5,  1826,  the  Maine  Baptist 
Missionary  Society  voted  to  appoint  an  agent  '  'to  visit  the 
destitute  parts  of  the  State,  to  ascertain  where  missionary 
labor  is  most  needed,  where  it  may  be  employed  to  the 
best  advantage,  to  advise  with  missionaries,  to  originate 
societies,  to  encourage  societies  which  already  exist  and  to 
"make  every  possible  exertion  to  increase  the  funds  of  the 
Society."  Rev.  Adam  Wilson  was  made  this  agent,  but 
the  records  give  no  evidence  that  he  accepted  the  appoint- 
ment. The  missionary  work  of  the  Society  was  continued, 
however,  Messrs.  Case,  Tripp,  Kendall,  Titcomb,  Macom- 
ber.  Chase  and  others  receiving  appointments. 

No  meeting  of  the  Convention  was  held  in  1826.  From 
the  report  of  the  meeting  held  in  Thomaston  Oct.  10  and 
11,  1827,  we  learn  that  Rev.  Samuel  Fogg,  pastor  of  the 
church  in  Thomaston,  had  meanwhile  received  an  appoint- 
ment as  "agent  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Convention,"  and  the 
Minutes  contain  his  report  for  the  year  ending  Oct.  10, 
1827.  Mr.  Fogg  resigned  his  pastorate  in  order  to  accept 
this  appointment.  At  the  meeting  of  the  Convention  at 
Readfield,  Oct.  8  and  9,  1828,  Mr.  Fogg  was  elected  record- 
ing secretary  of  the  Convention.  A  committee  appointed 
at  the  previous  meeting  to  revise  the  constitution  made  a 
report,  and  the  proposed  new  draft  was  adopted.  This 
new  constitution  made  the  object  of  the  Convention  "to 
concentrate  our  efforts  in  the  cause  of  Christ  and  particu- 
larly in  the  promotion  of  domestic  missions."  The  record- 
ing secretary  was  required  to  make  an  annual  report. 
Such  a  report  for  the  past  year  was  presented  and  had 
reference  wholly  to  the  missionary  work  of  the  Conven- 

16 


226  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

tion,  giving  an  account  of  the  services  rendered  by  its 
missionaries. 

It  was  evident,  however,  that  the  existence  of  two 
organizations,  having  the  same  general  object  in  view, 
was  not  conducive  to  harmony  of  action,  and  the  wisdom 
of  continuing  such  a  state  of  things  was  questioned.  A 
conference  of  representatives  of  the  two  organizations  was 
held  in  Livermore  Feb.  18,  1828.  There  were  present  on 
the  part  of  the  Missionary  Society,  Ransom  Norton,  John 
Haynes,  Nathaniel  Chase,  Adam  Wilson,  Thomas  Merrill, 
Horace  Seaver  and  Gilbert  Hathaway,  and  on  the  part  of 
the  convention,  Henry  Kendall,  Ezra  Going  and  Samuel 
Fogg.  After  a  full  and  free  discussion  the  following  reso- 
lutions were  adopted : 

"Resolved,  That  an  entire  and  complete  union  of  the 
two  bodies  represented  in  this  conference  appears  to  us 
desirable,  and  will  in  our  opinion  conduce  much  to  the 
interest  of  the  missionary  cause. 

"Resolved,  That  in  our  opinion  there  should  continue 
to  exist  among  our  brethren  in  this  State  such  a  body  as 
is  contemplated  in  the  constitution  published  in  the  last 
Minutes  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Convention ;  and  also  that 
there  should  be  in  this  Convention  a  corporation  to  hold  in 
trust  any  legacies  which  may  be  made  to  the  Convention  ; 
and  whereas  the  trustees  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Domestic 
Missionary  Society  are  already  an  incorporated  body,  we 
recommend  that  their  incorporation  be  retained  and  that 
they  petition  the  next  Legislature  to  change  their  style  to 
that  of  the  Trustees  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Convention." 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Convention  in  Readfield,  in  1828,  a 
committee  was  appointed  "to  confer  with  the  Board  of 
Missions  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Society  on  the 
subject  of  a  union  of  operations  between  the  said  Society 
and  the  Convention." 

At  the  meeting  in  Jefferson,  Oct.  14  and  15,  1829,  this 
committee  made  a  report,  which  was  accepted  at  the 
same  session,  but  the  nature  of  the  report  was  not  indi- 
cated.    The  committee  on  domestic  missions  was  directed 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  227 

to  have  a  further  conference  with  the  Missionary  Society, 
which  was  to  meet  in  Jefferson  that  evening.  There  is 
no  report  of  what  occurred  at  that  meeting,  but  on  the 
records  of  the  Missionary  Society,  under  date  of  Oct.  14, 
1829,  is  the  following  entry :  '  'Resolved,  That  it  will  be 
for  the  interest  of  the  two  societies,  and  for  the  gen- 
eral interest  of  the  Baptist  denomination  throughout  the 
State,  that  they  be  united  and  become  one.     Resolved, 

That be  a  committee,  to  be 

joined  by  a  committee  raised  by  the  Convention,  to  carry 
the  above  resolution  into  effect,  and  to  petition  the  next 
Legislature  for  an  act  of  incorporation. ' ' 

The  Convention  took  similar  action,  and  a  committee 
was  appointed  "in  conjunction  with  a  committee  of  the 
Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Society  to  petition  the  next  Leg- 
islature for  an  act  of  incorporation  of  this  Convention  in 
lieu  of  the  act  of  incorporation  of  the  said  Missionary 
Society."  In  accordance  with  this  action  the  Legislature, 
March  10,  1830,  granted  an  act  of  incorporation  to  the 
Convention,  but  it  was  not  "in  lieu  of  the  act  of  incorpora- 
tion" of  the  Missionary  Society.  That  organization  took 
no  steps  with  reference  to  a  surrender  of  its  charter. 

The  Missionary  Society,  however,  ceased  its  missionary 
operations.  According  to  the  records  no  meetings  of  the 
society  were  held  from  Oct.  14,  1829,  until  Jan.  7,  1835, 
and  to  the  Convention  was  left  the  work  of  caring  for  the 
destitute  fields  in  the  State.  The  amount  of  money  con- 
tributed for  missionary  work  since  the  organization  of  the 
Convention  was  as  follows:  1824,  $126.23;  1825,  $199.57; 
1826,  $279.05  ;  1827,  $392.44  ;  1828,  $553.25  ;  1829,  $350.37 ; 
total,  $1,900.91. 

At  the  meeting  held  in  Readfield,  Oct.  9  and  10,  1833, 
it  was  voted  to  employ  an  agent  to  have  charge  of 
the  missionary  operations  of  the  Convention,  and  Rev. 
Josiah  Houghton  of  Hallowell,  secretary  of  the  Conven- 
tion, received  the  appointment. 

There  had  been  an  increase  in  the  contributions  of  the 
churches  since   1829,   but   the   conviction   in   many  was 


228  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

strong  that  more  should  be  done  by  the  churches  in  order 
to  meet  the  needs  of  the  field.  A  resolution  was  adopted 
to  this  end,  that  an  endeavor  should  be  made  to  raise  dur- 
ing the  current  year  for  missionary  purposes  in  Maine 
the  sum  of  $2,000,  and  the  agent  of  the  Convention  was 
instructed  to  make  strenuous  efforts  to  carry  this  resolu- 
tion into  effect. 

At  the  next  annual  meeting  of  the  Convention,  Oct.  8 
and  9,  1834,  the  agent  reported  that  the  object  contem- 
plated in  this  resolution  had  been  accomplished.  The 
treasurer  reported  receipts  to  the  amount  of  $1,618.21, 
including  a  balance  of  $419.54,  and  in  addition  to  this  sum 
the  agent  said  he  had  taken  subscriptions  amounting  to 
between  $600  and  $700.  Mr.  Houghton,  as  agent  and  sec- 
retary, was  instructed  at  this  session  of  the  Convention  to 
devote  his  whole  time  to  Convention  work,  organizing  aux- 
iliary societies,  procuring  donations,  visiting  the  churches, 
the  more  prosperous  for  financial  aid  in  the  work,  and  the 
destitute,  looking  into  their  condition,  discovering  their 
needs,  stirring  them  up  to  effort  and  advising  them  as  to 
the  best  means  of  securing  ministerial  supplies. 

The  receipts  reported  at  the  next  meeting  of  the  Con- 
vention, held  in  Portland  Oct.  7  and  8,  1835,  including 
a  balance  of  $293.71,  were  $1,873.41,  and  the  limit  of 
endeavor  for  the  following  year  was  fixed  at  $4,000. 

But  during  the  year  measures  had  been  taken  to  revive 
the  work  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Society.  In 
the  records  of  a  meeting  held  in  Buckfield,  May  13,  1835, 
reference  is  made  to  a  bequest  of  Isaac  Lovell,  late  of 
Livermore,  giving  to  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Soci- 
ety "one-third  part  of  said  residue  of  my  estate,  to  be 
expended  for  the  support  of  a  Calvinistic  Baptist  mission- 
ary who  has  not  a  regular  settlement  over  any  society,  or 
church,  to  be  employed  in  this  State  under  the  direction  of 
said  Society."  The  executor  of  the  will  was  directed  to 
pay  this  legacy  within  fifteen  months  ''from  the  probate 
of  this  instrument."    It  was  doubtless  this  bequest  that 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  229 

was  the  occasion  of  reviving  the  work  of  the  Maine  Bap- 
tist Missionary  Society. 

As  the  Missionary  Society  had  not  held  a  meeting  since 
1829,  it  became  necessary  on  account  of  this  bequest  that 
attention  should  be  given  to  the  legal  status  of  the  society. 
At  a  meeting  of  the  trustees,  held  in  Minot  Jan.  7,  1835, 
a  committee  was  appointed  to  revise  the  constitution  and 
by-laws.  This  committee  reported  that  "through  an  inad- 
vertence the  by-laws  and  constitution  of  the  Society  were 
not  in  a  formal  way  adopted  after  receiving  the  act  of 
incorporation.  And  as  it  is  doubtful  whether  the  trans- 
actions of  the  corporation  are  to  be  regarded  as  strictly 
legal,  it  was  therefore  voted  that  the  secretary  be  directed 
in  the  name  and  behalf  of  the  Society  to  present  a  petition 
to  the  Legislature  praying  to  have  its  proceedings  made 
valid,  and  to  take  such  measures  as  shall  protect  its  future 
movements  from  similar  embarrassments." 

In  accordance  with  an  act  entitled  "An  act  directing  the 
mode  in  which  meetings  of  corporations  may  be  called  in 
certain  cases,"  passed  Feb.  24,  1835,  a  meeting  of  the 
Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Society  was  held  in  Buckfield 
May  13th.  Officers  were  elected  and  a  committee  was 
appointed  to  prepare  and  present  a  system  of  by-laws  by 
which  the  future  proceedings  of  the  Society  should  be  gov- 
erned. This  committee  made  a  report,  the  heading  being 
"Constitution  and  By-Laws  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Mission- 
ary Society,"  and  the  report  was  adopted. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  trustees  of  the  Society,  held  at 
Sumner  Oct.  1,  1835,  it  was  voted  "To  propose  to  the 
Maine  Baptist  Convention  to  open  a  friendly  correspond- 
ence to  cultivate  and  cherish  a  mutual  understanding  in 
prosecuting  the  great  and  good  objects  they  respectively 
have  in  view."  A  committee  was  appointed  to  bring  this 
action  before  the  Maine  Baptist  Convention  at  its  meeting 
in  Portland.  This  was  done,  and  it  was  voted,  "That  this 
Convention  cordially  reciprocate  the  friendly  overtures  of 
the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Society,  and  invite  their 


230  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

delegates  to  a  seat  in  this  body."  Delegates  also  were 
appointed  to  attend  the  next  meeting  of  the  Missionary 
Society. 

The  trustees  of  the  Missionary  Society,  Sept.  22,  1836, 
authorized  the  delegates  appointed  by  the  Oxford  Asso- 
ciation to  attend  the  Maine  Baptist  Convention  to  repre- 
sent them  "in  that  body,  to  consult  and  devise  the  best 
means  of  promoting  the  general  operations  of  both  bod- 
ies in  union."  Evidently  there  was  the  utmost  harmony 
between  the  officers  of  both  organizations,  and  the  work 
of  both  was  carried  forward  with  the  most  friendly  rela- 
tions. But  the  country  was  soon  called  to  pass  through  a 
period  of  stress  and  storm  in  financial  matters.  Both  were 
affected  by  it.  The  Convention  suffered  serious  embar- 
rassment. The  report  of  the  board  made  at  the  meeting 
of  the  Convention  at  Waterville,  Oct.  3  and  4,  1838,  stated 
that  the  debt  of  the  Convention  had  been  reduced  about 
one-half,  and  the  hope  was  expressed  that  the  coming  year 
would  enable  the  Convention  honorably  to  discharge  all  of 
its  liabilities.  But  the  hope  was  not  fulfilled.  At  the  next 
annual  meeting  it  was  said  that  the  debt  was  about  $2,000. 
In  1840,  in  the  annual  report  of  the  board,  it  was  said  to 
be  $3,680. 

The  Missionary  Society  meanwhile  continued  its  work  in 
a  feeble  way.  The  receipts  were  small.  For  the  years 
1838  and  1839,  we  have  no  report  of  the  Society's  income. 

The  crisis  in  the  affairs  of  the  Convention  continued. 
By  added  efforts,  heroically  endured,  however,  a  large 
part  of  the  debt  was  at  length  paid.  But  the  Convention 
was  not  yet  ready  to  resume  its  former  position  as  a  mis- 
sionary organization.  At  the  meeting  of  the  Convention 
held  at  Thomaston,  Oct.  8  and  9, 1840,  the  board  was  made 
a  committee  to  confer  with  the  trustees  of  the  Maine  Bap- 
tist Missionary  Society  to  ascertain  if  some  plan  could  not 
be  devised  to  unite  the  two  bodies.  The  trustees  of  the 
Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Society,  at  a  meeting  held  in 
Topsham  Jan.  20,  1841,  appointed  a  committee  to  confer 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  231 

with  the  trustees  of  the  Convention  in  reference  to  the 
proposed  union. 

Such  a  conference  was  held  and  an  arrangement  was 
made  in  accordance  with  which  it  was  agreed  that  the 
Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Society  should  henceforth  be 
the  sole  organ  of  the  domestic  missionary  operations  of 
the  Baptists  of  Maine.  At  a  meeting  of  the  trustees  of 
the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Society,  held  in  Hallowell 
Oct..  13,  1841,  a  report  to  this  effect  was  received  and 
adopted,  and  certain  changes  were  made  in  the  constitu- 
tion of  the  Society.  The  Maine  Baptist  Convention  held 
its  annual  meeting  in  Hallowell  Oct.  13  and  14,  1841.  At 
this  meeting  a  report  from  the  board  of  trustees  was 
received,  recommending  "that  the  Maine  Baptist  Mission- 
ary Society  be  considered  the  sole  organ  of  our  domes- 
tic missionary  operations."  The  recommendation  was 
adopted,  and  the  treasurer  was  directed  to  pay  over  to  the 
treasurer  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Society  the 
amount  of  money  that  remained  in  his  hands,  after  set- 
tling the  accounts  of  the  previous  year  and  paying  for  the 
printing  of  the  Minutes. 

The  missionary  work  of  the  Baptists  of  Maine  was  now 
left  to  a  single  organization,  and  that  the  earlier  one. 
The  Convention,  however,  continued  its  organization, 
finding  still  a  field  for  its  activities  ;  but  unquestionably 
in  relinquishing  its  missionary  work  it  lost,  in  a  great 
measure,  the  position  it  had  hitherto  held. 

At  a  meeting  in  Hallowell,  Oct.  14,  1841,  the  trustees 
of  the  Missionary  Society,  in  order  to  secure  greater  effi- 
ciency in  its  operations,  divided  the  State  into  sections. 
The  first  embraced  the  counties  of  York,  Cumberland 
and  Oxford ;  the  second,  those  of  Bowdoinham,  Lincoln, 
Kennebec,  Waldo  and  Piscataquis ;  the  third,  those  of 
Penobscot,  Hancock  and  Washington.  The  members  of 
the  board  in  these  sections  were  made  sub-committees 
of  the  board,  and  it  was  voted  that  the  funds  raised  by 
the  churches  within  these  sections  during  that  year  should 


232  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

be  placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  sub-committee  and  appro- 
priated as  its  members  saw  fit,  but  within  the  provisions 
of  the  constitution  of  the  Society.  It  was  also  voted  that 
ministers  might  subscribe  to  the  funds  of  the  Society  and 
pay  such  subscription  in  missionary  labor  "at  the  rate  of 
five  dollars  a  week,  if  performed  within  the  year," 

The  missionary  activity  of  the  churches  was  increased 
by  the  new  order  of  things.  More  money  was  placed  at 
the  disposal  of  the  board.  In  the  report  of  the  board  pre- 
sented at  the  annual  meeting,  held  in  Turner  June  15, 
1842,  there  is  evidence  that  a  brighter  day  in  the  mission- 
ary operations  of  the  Baptists  of  Maine  had  now  dawned. 
At  this  meeting  the  Society  voted  to  enter  into  an  aux- 
iliary relation  with  the  American  Baptist  Home  Mis- 
sion Society.^  At  this  session  of  the  Society,  Rev.  Joseph 
Ricker,  then  editor  of  Zion's  Advocate,  was  made  secre- 
tary of  the  Society,  entering  into  a  relation,  though  for  a 
year  only,  in  which  he  was  made  familiar  with  the  mis- 
sionary work  of  the  denomination  in  Maine,  a  work  in 
which  afterward  he  was  to  find  so  important  a  part  of  his 
life  work. 

Missionaries  were  appointed,  and  as  their  reports  were 
published  the  members  of  the  churches  were  more  and 
more  strongly  impressed  with  the  needs  of  the  State  as  a 
missionary  field.  The  report  of  the  board,  prepared  by 
Secretary  Ricker,  and  presented  at  the  annual  meeting  in 
Warren,  June  21,  1843,  showed  that  the  expenditures  of 
the  year  were  about  $1,500.  Year  by  year  the  importance 
of  the  work  was  emphasized,  and  more  and  more  the 
imperative  duty  of  the  churches  to  make  their  domestic 
missionary  work  increasingly  effective  was  forcibly  pre- 
sented. Larger  contributions  were  called  for,  and  at  the 
annual  meeting  of  the  Society  in  Brunswick,  June  12  and 
13,  1846,  it  was  deemed  important  to  secure  the  services 
of  "an  agent,  whose  time  should  be  entirely  devoted  to 
advocating  the  claims  of  domestic  missions,  and  collect- 

*  As  there  is  no  further  mention  of  such  a  relation,  the  vote  for  some  reason  probably 
was  not  made  effective. 


REV.    L.    B.    ALLEN,    D.    D. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  233 

ing  funds."  Rev.  J.  Wilson,  who  had  been  pastor  of 
the  church  at  Waldoborough,  received  and  accepted  this 
appointment,  but  his  service  continued  only  during  the 
year.  His  appointment,  however,  furnishes  evidence  of 
the  growing  importance  of  the  missionary  work  in  the 
State.  Mr.  Wilson  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Handel  G. 
Nott  of  Bath,  who  at  a  meeting  of  the  board  held  June 
29,  1847,  was  elected  agent  with  primary  but  not  exclusive 
reference  to  the  collection  of  funds.  Mr.  Nott's  salary 
was  $500,  and  he  was  allowed  "$50  additional  towards  his 
outfit,  provided  he  furnished  himself  with  horse  and  car- 
riage." He  was  also  to  have  his  necessary  traveling 
expenses. 

Mr.  Nott,  after  faithfully  serving  the  Society  as  its  agent 
about  six  months,  resigned,  though  at  the  request  of  the 
board  he  continued  to  serve  the  Society  by  correspondence 
until  the  next  annual  meeting,  when  he  was  succeeded  by 
Rev.  L.  B.  Allen.  Mr.  Allen,  who  received  his  appoint- 
ment June  22,  1848,  was  at  the  time  in  delicate  health  and 
entered  upon  this  service  with  hesitation  on  this  account. 
He  was  able,  however,  faithfully  to  discharge  his  duties, 
spending  thirty-eight  weeks  during  the  first  year  of  his 
appointment  in  attending  exclusively  to  the  interests  of 
the  Society,  twenty-four  weeks  in  collecting  funds  and 
fourteen  weeks  in  performing  missionary  labor  among  the 
destitute  churches.  The  whole  number  of  missionaries 
and  pastors  aided  during  a  part  or  the  whole  of  the  year 
was  thirty-six.  After  spending  about  twenty  weeks  in 
the  service  of  the  Society  the  following  year,  finding  that 
his  health  would  not  permit  him  to  do  the  needed  service, 
Mr.  Allen  resigned  Nov.  30,  1849. 

Several  attempts  were  made  by  the  board  to  fill  the 
vacancy,  but  without  success.  Among  others,  Rev.  Adam 
Wilson  was  urged  to  accept  the  position  of  agent  or  finan- 
cial secretary.  Manifestly  there  was  a  deepening  interest 
in  missionary  work  in  Maine.  The  amounts  appropriated 
to  destitute  churches  in  recent  years  had  been  as  follows  : 
For  the  year  ending  June,  1848,  $1,678.83 ;  June,  1849, 


234  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

$1,970.63;  June,  1850,  $1,949.87;  June,  1851,  $2,014.87. 
At  the  meeting  of  the  Society  at  Bloomfield,  June  18, 

1851,  the  trustees  reported  the  beginning  of  a  permanent 
fund  by  a  bequest  of  $1,000  from  Thomas  Burton  of  War- 
ren.    At  the  meeting  of  the  Society  at  Belfast,  June  16, 

1852,  a  resolution  was  introduced,  to  the  effect  that  "of 
all  the  benevolent  contributions  in  the  State,  it  was  right 
and  expedient  that  one-half  be  expended  in  Maine."  This 
resolution  gave  rise  to  an  animated  discussion  with  refer- 
ence to  the  claims  and  needs  of  Maine.  All  who  took 
part  in  the  discussion  expressed  the  conviction  that  more 
should  be  done  for  the  home  field,  but  in  place  of  the 
resolution  that  led  to  the  discussion,  the  following  was 
adopted :  '  'That  the  Baptists  of  Maine  ought  to  raise  at 
least  $4,000  for  domestic  missions  the  present  year. "  It 
is  noteworthy  that  the  interest  in  missionary  work  in 
Maine  awakened  by  this  discussion  "did  not  subside  in 
unmeaning  resolutions."  The  receipts  of  the  Society  for 
the  year,  including  a  balance  of  $367.45,  were  $4,126.65, 
an  increase  of  $1,084.10  over  the  receipts  of  the  previous 
year. 

The  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  Society  was  held  in  Ban- 
gor, June  21,  1854.  The  financial  report  was  an  encourag- 
ing one,  the  receipts  having  been  upwards  of  $4,000.  On 
motion  of  Rev.  S.  L.  Caldwell  of  Bangor,  it  was  voted 
"That  the  board  of  trustees  be  requested  to  form  their 
plans  of  operations  with  reference  to  an  increase  of  con- 
tributions and  appropriations  each  year,  and  that  for  the 
current  year  they  endeavor  to  raise  $4,800." 

For  some  time  Rev.  E.  Nugent  had  served  the  Mis- 
sionary Society  as  its  agent  or  financial  secretary.  At  a 
meeting  of  the  board,  held  in  Portland  Sept.  4,  1854,  Mr. 
Nugent  resigned,  and  it  was  suggested  that  at  the  next 
annual  meeting  of  the  Society  a  recommendation  should  be 
made  by  the  board  that  a  corresponding  secretary  be 
appointed  *  'to  care  for  all  the  mission  churches,  to  super- 
intend the  labors  of  the  missionaries  and  also  to  superin- 
tend the  whole  work  of  obtaining  funds."    At  the  annual 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  235 

meeting-  of  the  Society  held  at  Eastport,  June  20,  1855, 
it  was  voted  to  employ  a  secretary  who  should  have  the 
care  of  the  Society's  financial  affairs  and  missionary  oper- 
ations. Rev.  N.  Butler  was  elected  corresponding  sec- 
retary at  a  salary  of  $800  and  "reasonable  expenses." 
Mr.  Butler  accepted  the  appointment,  but  discouragement 
because  of  the  apathy  of  pastors  and  churches  with  refer- 
ence to  his  work  led  to  his  resignation  Oct.  13,  1855. 
Evidently  the  Baptists  in  Maine  were  not  yet  ready  for 
such  an  appointment. 

The  board,  however,  addressed  itself  to  the  task  of  fill- 
ing the  vacancy,  and  also  of  finding  one  or  more  brethren 
to  act  as  general  missionaries.  Year  by  year,  as  the 
records  show,  there  was  a  clearer  apprehension  of  the 
work  to  be  done,  and  a  stronger  determination  to  use  the 
forces  available  for  its  accomplishment. 

At  the  annual  meeting  held  in  Waterville,  June  16,  1858, 
when  by  the  great  revival  much  encouragement  had  been 
given  for  a  more  vigorous  prosecution  of  the  work,  it  was 
voted  to  attempt  to  raise  during  the  year  the  sum  of 
$4,000  for  missionary  purposes  in  the  State.  This  amount 
was  not  fully  secured,  but  at  the  annual  meeting  in  1859, 
a  recommendation  was  adopted  that  an  effort  be  made  to 
secure  $4,500  during  the  coming  year.  In  the  annual 
report  presented  at  the  meeting  of  the  Society  at  Bidde- 
ford,  June  22,  1859,  mention  is  first  made  of  Rev.  S.  G. 
Sargent  in  connection  with  our  missionary  operations.  He 
had  received  the  appointment  of  general  missionary,  and 
in  the  report  his  work  called  forth  grateful  acknowledg- 
ment on  the  part  of  the  board.  This  was  the  beginning 
of  a  service  long  continued  and  greatly  blessed.  At  this 
meeting  Rev.  W.  H.  Shailer,  D.  D.,  was  chairman  of  a 
committee  on  "the  Method  and  Scope  of  the  Operations 
of  the  Society. ' '  Rev.  G.  W.  Bosworth  was  president  of 
the  Society,  having  been  elected  in  1858.  Both  had  come 
into  the  State  from  pastorates  in  Massachusetts.  Dr. 
Shailer  was  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  church  in  Portland, 
and  Mr.  Bosworth  was  pastor  of  the  Free  St.  church. 


236  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

Portland.  Wise,  strong,  masterful  men,  they  had  secured 
the  confidence  of  their  brethren  in  the  State,  and  their 
influence  was  strongly  felt  in  all  such  enterprises  as  were 
connected  with  the  progress  of  the  denomination  in  Maine. 
At  the  meeting  of  the  Missionary  Society  held  in 
Augusta,  June  20,  1860,  President  Bosworth  appointed 
committees  on  "Important  Centers,"  on  "Aroostook  Mis- 
sions," on  "Churches  in  the  Rural  Districts"  and  on 
"Finance."  The  committee  on  "Important  Centers" 
reported  the  following  resolution:  "That  this  Society,  in 
its  own  experience,  has  already  had  proof  that  sympathy 
for  feeble  churches  in  retired  positions  can  in  no  way  be 
more  wisely  manifested  than  by  efficiently  sustaining  the 
struggling  churches  in  important  centers."  Addresses  by 
Rev.  A.  K.  P.  Small,  Mr.  M.  Giddings  and  Mr.  G.  F. 
Emery  followed.  The  committee  on  "Aroostook  Mis- 
sions" offered  the  following  resolution  :  "That  the  present 
indications  are  that  God,  in  his  providence,  is  about  to 
open  a  wide  door  for  effective  effort  in  the  Aroostook 
region,  and  that  this  Society  should  at  once  prepare  itself 
to  meet  the  rapidly  increasing  wants  of  that  important 
portion  of  the  State."  Those  who  addressed  the  Society 
on  this  resolution  were  Rev.  C.  G.  Porter,  Rev.  S.  Besse, 
Rev.  H.  Kendall,  Dea.  J.  C.  White,  Rev.  A.  Wilson  and 
Rev.  A.  K.  P.  Small.  There  was  not  at  that  time  a  single 
Baptist  church  in  the  Aroostook  region.  How  accurately 
thus  early  had  the  brethren  discovered  Aroostook's  possi- 
bilities !  The  committee  on  "Churches  in  the  Rural  Dis- 
tricts" made  this  report:  "That  after  due  consideration, 
taking  into  account  the  relation  of  the  parts  to  the  whole, 
they  are  prepared  to  say  that  in  their  opinion  the  rural 
portions  of  our  large  territory  have  special  claim  upon  our 
board,  and  hold  out  many  inducements  for  evangelical 
labor."  Remarks  were  made  by  Rev.  C.  Parker,  Rev. 
Dr.  W.  H.  Shailer,  Rev.  S.  Ilsley,  Rev.  S.  G.  Sargent, 
Rev.  H.  Hawes,  Rev.  I.  Leland  and  Rev.  H.  V.  Dexter. 
The  whole  field  was  in  this  way  surveyed  and  its  needs 
presented.     It  only  remained  to  hear  from  the  committee 


DEA.    J.    C.    WHITE. 


J 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  237 

on  "Finance,"  consisting  of  such  business  men  as  J.  C. 
White,  Wm.  Wilson  and  H.  M.  Hart.  This  was  their 
report :  "That  while  we  rejoice  in  the  increase  of  funds  to 
the  treasury  the  past  year,  we  would  recommend  fixing 
the  sum  higher  than  that  voted  last  year  ($4,500),  hoping 
that  we  may  this  year  come  up  to  that  mark,  and  thus 
make  our  resolves  and  acts  meet  each  other.  All  three  of 
the  members  of  the  committee  addressed  the  Society,  and 
they  were  followed  by  Rev.  W.  Hurlin,  Rev.  S.  Chisam, 
Rev.  S.  G.  Sargent,  Rev.  H.  Fittz,  Rev.  W.  T.  Sargent, 
Rev.  S.  Hall,  Rev.  Geo.  Knox  and  Rev.  C.  G.  Porter. 

It  is  evident  that  the  Baptists  in  Maine,  with  inspiring 
leaders  and  increasing  financial  resources,  were  now  in  a 
better  condition  for  an  advance  movement  than  at  any 
other  period  in  their  history.  Other  events,  however, 
were  soon  largely  to  occupy  public  attention.  Before  the 
arrival  of  another  annual  meeting  the  Civil  War  had 
opened,  and  during  the  next  four  years  the  energies  of 
the  people  of  Maine,  in  common  with  the  people  of  the 
loyal  States,  were  engaged  in  the  strenuous  effort  to  put 
down  rebellion  and  maintain  the  federal  union.  The  work 
of  the  Society,  however,  was  carried  forward,  even  under 
these  circumstances,  with  a  growing  interest  in  its  prog- 
ress. There  was  an  increase  in  contributions,  especially 
during  the  last  two  years  of  the  war,  which  enabled  the 
Missionary  Society  somewhat  to  extend  its  operations. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Society  in  Lewiston,  June 
21,  1865,  the  importance  of  securing  "an  efficient  man 
as  secretary"  was  again  presented  by  Rev.  N.  Butler, 
and  the  board  was  instructed  to  consider  the  expediency 
of  appointing  such  a  secretary,  "who  shall  devote  his 
whole  time  to  the  affairs  of  the  Society,  and  to  missionary 
labor  among  the  churches  and  in  the  missionary  fields  of 
the  State,  and  who  shall  receive  as  salary  $1,000  and 
expenses." 

The  missionary  work  of  the  Baptists  of  Maine  had  now 
been  under  the  direction  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary 
Society  since  1841.     Meanwhile  the  Maine  Baptist  Con- 


238  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

vention  had  continued  its  organization,  with  an  outlook 
upon  the  varied  interests  not  cared  for  by  the  Maine 
Baptist  Missionary  Society  and  the  Maine  Baptist  Educa- 
tion Society.  But  there  was  a  growing  conviction  that 
the  Missionary  Society  and  the  Convention  should  be 
united,  and  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Missionary 
Society  at  Saco,  June  19,  1866,  the  question  was  presented 
for  discussion,  "How  may  the  efficiency  of  the  Society 
be  increased?"  A  committee  on  organization  had  been 
appointed  at  the  opening  of  the  session.  This  committee 
consisted  of  A.  Wilson,  S.  W.  Avery,  N.  Butler,  M.  Gid- 
dings,  J.  C.  White,  W.  H.  Shailer,  W.  H.  S.  Ventres  and 
W.  H.  Evans.  Their  report,  recommending  a  union  of  the 
two  organizations,  was  presented  at  the  afternoon  session 
and  was  adopted.  Rev.  Dr.  W.  H.  Shailer  and  Rev.  J. 
Ricker  were  made  a  committee  to  obtain  from  the  Legis- 
lature of  Maine  "such  alterations  of  the  charters  of  the 
Maine  Baptist  State  Convention  and  the  Maine  Baptist 
Missionary  Society  as  shall  make  this  new  organization  the 
legal  chartered  representative  of  both  of  these  bodies." 
A  like  report  was  presented  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the 
Maine  Baptist  Convention,  and  the  same  action  was  taken. 
When  the  Missionary  Society  adjourned,  it  adjourned 
to  meet  with  the  Maine  Baptist  Convention  on  the  third 
Tuesday  in  June,  1867.  For  more  than  three-score  years, 
with  varying  efficiency,  it  had  prosecuted  its  work.  The 
men  who  brought  it  into  existence  had  passed  away. 
Well  it  had  served  its  day  and  generation.  But  a  new 
era  was  opening.  New  men  were  at  the  front  in  the  vari- 
ous enterprises  of  the  denomination,  and  a  wise  concentra- 
tion of  effort  was  plainly  demanded  in  order  to  meet  the 
requirements  of  the  situation. 


>  ^ 


m  E 
O  < 
Z  • 


> 

n 
_  K 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


Maine  Baptist  Education  Society. 

The  opening  of  the  Maine  Literary  and  Theological 
Institution  at  Waterville,  in  1818,  called  attention  to  the 
importance  of  ministerial  education.  In  the  Correspond- 
ing Letter  of  the  Bowdoinham  Association  for  that  year 
occur  these  words  :  "The  numerous  and  extreme  disad- 
vantages which  have  heretofore  attended  those  in  this 
section  of  the  country  who  were  inclined  to  engage  in 
the  gospel  ministry  and  who  wished  to  obtain  further 
instruction  in  divinity  and  the  auxiliary  branches  of  sci- 
ence, has  been  felt  by  numbers,  and  acknowledged  by  all 
enlightened  Christians.  These  disadvantages  have  arisen 
chiefly  from  the  want  of  such  a  seminary  as  has  lately 
been  opened  at  Waterville.  We  cannot  but  hope,  that  by 
the  establishment  of  this  institution  God  has  answered 
the  prayers  of  his  own  people,  and  by  this  providence  he 
intends  the  good  of  our  churches." 

There  were  those,  however,  who  did  not  share  this  hope, 
and  who  looked  with  disfavor  upon  ministerial  education  ; 
but  there  was  no  open  opposition  to  the  new  movement  at 
this  time.  Indeed  the  Bowdoinham  Association  voted  at 
this  session  to  recommend  to  the  churches  the  propriety 
of  forming  societies  for  the  purpose  of  aiding  the  theologi- 
cal school  at  Waterville,  and  the  messengers  to  correspond- 
ing associations  were  instructed  to  use  their  influence  to 
secure  the  co-operation  of  these  associations  by  adopting 
similar  measures.  Messrs.  Chaplin,  Boardman,  Daggett, 
Drinkwater,  and  Francis  were  made  a  committee  to  assist 
the  churches  in  Bowdoinham  Association  in  organizing 
societies  for  the  purpose  of  securing  ministerial  aid.  Such 
a  vote  was  passed  by  the  Cumberland  Association  in  Sep- 


240  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

tember,  1819,  but  there  was  no  response  from  the  Lin- 
coln Association.  In  the  Bowdoinham  Association,  held  at 
Bloomfield  Sept.  22  and  23,  1819,  this  action  was  taken : 
"Understanding-  that  the  trustees  of  the  Maine  Literary 
and  Theological  Institution  are  about  to  erect  a  large 
building  for  the  use  of  that  seminary,  Resolved,  That  we 
recommend  to  the  churches  composing  this  association  to 
use  their  best  endeavors  to  assist  the  said  trustees  in  this 
arduous  undertaking." 

The  Baptists  in  Massachusetts  had  organized  the  Massa- 
chusetts Baptist  Education  Society  in  1814,  and  the  Society 
was  incorporated  Feb.  10,  1818.  President  Chaplin  was 
familiar  with  its  work,  and  early  suggested  the  import- 
ance of  organizing  a  similar  society  in  the  District  of 
Maine.  Not  only  would  such  a  society,  he  said,  render 
needed  assistance  in  the  development  and  maintenance  of 
the  institution  at  Waterville,  but  it  would  be  able  to  assist 
young  men  connected  with  the  institution  who  were  pre- 
paring for  the  work  of  the  Christian  ministry,  and  who 
were  unable  to  meet  the  expenses  which  an  extended 
course  of  study  entailed.^ 

*  "A  Society  for  Promoting  the  Education  of  Religious  Young  Men  for  the  Ministry, 
and  also  for  Sending  the  Gospel  to  the  Destitute"  was  organized  at  Sedgwick  in  1803, 
and  Rev.  Daniel  Merrill  was  elected  president.  Its  object  was  to  obtain  gospel  laborers. 
"It  has  been  repeatedly  the  case  in  this  vicinity,  and  elsewhere,  that  young  men  of 
apparent  piety  and  promising  abilities  have  manifested  a  laudable  desire  to  devote  them- 
selves to  God  in  the  work  of  the  ministry,  had  they  but  property  to  support  themselves 
while  they  could  acquire  sufficient  literary  information.  The  object  of  this  society  is  to 
bring  forward  such  young  men."  When  Mr.  Merrill,  in  1805,  became  a  Baptist,  ques- 
tions arose  connected  with  this  society,  and  at  length  certain  members  of  the  society, 
including  three  of  the  trustees,  requested  the  president  to  call  a  meeting  to  see  if  the 
society  would  agree  that  "all  the  Pedobaptist  members  belonging  to  it,  who  shall  not 
express  a  wish  to  the  contrary,  become  a  society  by  themselves."  Rev.  S.  P.  Merrill,  a 
grandson  of  Rev.  Daniel  Merrill,  while  on  a  visit  to  Sedgwick  a  few  years  ago,  made 
some  investigations  concerning  this  society,  but  was  not  able  to  ascertain  what  was  the 
action  of  the  society  at  this  time.  The  work  of  the  society  was  continued,  and  Mr.  Mer- 
rill was  of  the  opinion  that  it  was  continued  as  a  Baptist  society.  He  found  a  record  of 
the  society  as  late  as  Sept.  3,  1822,  when  a  committee  was  appointed  to  deliver  the  books 
of  the  late  treasurer,  Bro.  Doyle,  to  the  new  treasurer,  and  Rev.  Amos  Allen  was  made 
secretary  in  place  of  Daniel  Bickford.  A  copy  of  a  note  given  by  one  of  the  beneficiaries 
of  the  society  was  sent  to  the  writer  a  few  years  ago  by  Rev.  E.  A.  Davis,  and  is  as  fol- 
lows :  "Sedgwick,  January  20,  1806.  For  value  received  I  promise  to  pay  to  Thomas 
Doyle,  treasurer  of  the  Society  for  Promoting  the  Education  of  Religious  Young  Men, 
&c.,  in  the  county  of  Hancock  by  the  expiration  of  five  years  from  the  date  hereof  the 
sum  of  one  hundred  dollars ;  if  not  then  paid  afterwards  on  demand  with  interest.    And 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  241 

Accordingly  Aug.  17,  1819,  the  Maine  Baptist  Education 
Society  was  organized  in  the  home  of  President  Chaplin 
at  Waterville.  A  constitution  was  adopted  and  signed, 
and  twenty  trustees  were  chosen,  who  elected  executive 
officers  on  the  following  day.  At  the  first  meeting  of  the 
board  it  was  voted  "that  whatever  surplus  money  is  raised 
this  year  (fifteen  dollars  excepted)  be  applied  to  the  sup- 
port of  instructors,"  so  difficult  was  it  at  that  early  period 
in  the  history  of  the  institution  at  Waterville  to  procure 
funds  for  its  maintenance.  But  books  as  well  as  instruct- 
ors were  needed,  and  this  action  was  taken  by  the  board 
in  1820 :  '  'That  twenty-five  dollars  be  intrusted  to  an 
agent  in  Boston  and  fifteen  dollars  to  an  agent  in  Portland 
to  purchase  books  for  the  library  of  the  Society.  Voted 
that  Brother  Sharp  be  the  agent  in  Boston,  and  Brother 
Ripley  the  agent  in  Portland."  It  was  also  voted  "That 
instead  of  paying  the  board  and  tuition  of  the  benefici- 
aries, it  shall  be  left  to  the  examining  committee  to  appro- 
priate to  each  beneficiary  such  a  sum,  and  under  such 
regulations,  as  they  shall  think  proper."  Still  another 
vote  authorized  the  examining  committee,  "to  loan  or  to 
give,  to  such  persons  as  they  may  think  proper,  any 
books."  A  long  list  of  books  procured  for  this  purpose, 
"from  Latin  Grammars  to  the  Federalist  and  Goldsmith's 
works,"  is  given. ^ 

There  is  no  mention  in  the  Minutes  of  the  Bowdoinham 
Association  of  such  an  organization  as  the  Maine  Baptist 
Education  Society  until,  in  the  record  of  the  meeting  held 
at  Lewiston,  Sept.  27  and  28,  1820,  we  find  the  following  : 
"Voted  to  comply  with  the  request  of  the  delegate  from 
the  Maine  Baptist  Education  Society,  which  is,  that  lib- 
erty be  granted  to  insert  in  our  Minutes  a  constitution  for 

in  case  I  turn  my  attention  to  any  other  employment  than  contemplated  by  said  society, 
or  stop  of  acquiring  such  accomplishments  as  are  recommended  by  the  trustees,  I  also 
promise  to  hold  myself  subject  to  pay  interest  for  the  whole  or  any  part  of  the  time  I  am 
favored  with  the  above  sum  as  the  trustees  shall  require.  William  Allen.  Attest,  Rob- 
ert Upton." 

'  Report  of  the  Board  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Education  Society  in  the  Minutes  for  1889, 
p.  25.  This  report,  written  by  Rev.  E.  S.  Small,  secretary  of  the  society,  is  a  valuable 
document. 

17 


242  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

the  formation  of  benevolent  societies  for  the  purpose  of 
encouraging  domestic  and  foreign  missions,  the  distribu- 
tion of  the  Scriptures,  and  the  education  of  pious  and  indi- 
gent young  men  called  of  God  to  the  work  of  the  ministry, 
and  an  accompanying  address  recommending  the  above 
benevolent  object."  But  no  such  document  appears  in 
connection  with  the  Minutes  of  Bowdoinham  Association 
for  that  year.  At  the  Cumberland  Baptist  Association 
held  at  Livermore,  Oct.  4  and  5,  1820,  similar  action  was 
taken.  The  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Society,  which  met 
at  the  same  place  October  6th,  received  a  communica- 
tion from  the  Maine  Baptist  Education  Society,  request- 
ing the  trustees  of  the  Missionary  Society  to  co-operate 
with  the  trustees  of  the  Education  Society  in  preparing  a 
constitution  for  benevolent  societies  which  should  embrace 
domestic  and  foreign  missions,  education  of  pious,  indigent 
young  men  called  of  God  to  the  gospel  ministry,  and  the 
establishment  of  a  library  for  the  benefit  of  "ministering 
brethren."  An  address  was  added,  urging  the  claims  of 
these  respective  benevolent  objects.  This  address  was 
published  in  connection  with  the  Minutes,  and  to  it  was 
appended  the  draft  of  a  constitution  to  be  used  in  organiz- 
ing the  proposed  societies. 

The  trustees  of  the  Education  Society  now,  through  a 
committee,  petitioned  the  Legislature  of  the  new  State 
for  an  act  of  incorporation.  This  was  granted  Feb.  5, 
1821.^    The  trustees  met  annually,  the  Society  triennially. 

'  An  Act  to  incorporate  the  Trustees  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Education  Society. 

Sect.  1.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  in  Legislature 
assembled.  That  Sylvanus  Boardman,  Jeremiah  Chaplin,  Thomas  B.  Ripley,  Robert  Low, 
Calvin  Stockbridge,  John  O'Brien,  and  their  associates  and  successors,  be,  and  they 
hereby  are  incorporated  into  a  body  politic,  by  the  name  of  the  Trustees  of  the  Maine 
Baptist  Education  Society ;  with  power  to  sue  and  be  sued  ;  to  have  a  common  seal  and 
to  change  the  same  ;  to  make  any  by-laws  for  the  management  of  their  affairs  not  repug- 
nant to  the  laws  of  this  State ;  to  take,  hold  and  possess,  any  real  or  personal  estate  to 
the  value  of  sixty  thousand  dollars  ;  and  to  give  and  grant,  bargain  and  sell  or  lease  the 
same. 

Sect.  2.  Be  it  further  enacted.  That  the  number  of  said  Trustees  shall  not  exceed 
twenty ;  and  they  shall  have  power  to  elect  a  President  and  Secretary,  and  such  other 
officers  as  they  may  deem  necessary  ;  and  to  fill  all  vacancies  in  their  number,  occasioned 
by  death,  resignation  or  otherwise. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  243 

Rev.  Sylvanus  Boardman  was  the  first  president  and 
Rev.  Thomas  B.  Ripley  the  first  secretary.  Agents  were 
appointed  to  solicit  funds  for  the  Society,  and  to  organ- 
ize auxiliary  societies.  Copies  of  the  American  Baptist 
Magazine  and  of  the  Christian  Watchman  were  taken  for 
use  in  these  auxiliary  societies.  Books  and  money  also 
were  solicited  to  form  a  library  for  the  use  of  the  young 
men  studying  for  the  ministry.  "How  highly  important 
is  it,"  adds  the  address,  "that  our  destitute  and  infant 
churches  should  be  supplied  with  pious  and  faithful  pas- 
tors. We  cannot  therefore  but  indulge  the  pleasing  hope 
that  the  above  objects  will  make  a  strong  and  success- 
ful appeal  to  your  benevolent  notice.  Our  invitations  are 
not  confined  to  any  single  class,  but  are  extended  to  all 
who  are  inclined  to  come  forward  to  the  help  of  the  Lord. 
Let  the  farmer  consecrate  the  produce  of  a  selected  spot 
of  ground.  Let  the  mechanic,  the  physician,  the  lawyer, 
the  merchant  devote  a  portion  of  their  annual  income. 
Let  the  mothers  and  daughters  in  Israel  imitate  their 
pious  ancestors,  and  spin,  and  weave,  and  bring  the  fruit 
of  their  labor  to  adorn  the  spiritual  temple.  Let  those 
who  have  but  little  to  bestow  remember  that  the  ocean  is 
made  up  of  drops,  and  that  the  day  of  small  things  is  not 
to  be  despised.  The  cup  of  cold  water  and  the  widow's 
two  mites  will  not  be  forgotten." 

The  resources  of  the  Society  in  the  early  period  of  its 
history  were  exceedingly  limited,  and  its  appropriations 

Sect.  3.  Be  it  further  enacted.  That  all  deeds,  grants,  covenants  and  agreements,  that 
may  be  made  for  and  in  behalf  of  said  corporation,  shall  be  executed  under  the  seal  of 
the  same,  and  signed  by  the  President  and  Secretary. 

Sect.  4.  Be  it  further  enacted.  That  all  the  estate  of  said  corporation,  both  real  and 
personal,  shall  be  used  and  improved  to  the  best  advantage,  and  the  annual  income 
thereof,  and  so  much  of  the  principal  as  the  said  Trustees  shall  judge  proper,  together 
with  the  annual  subscriptions  and  contributions  which  shall  be  made  to  said  corpora- 
tion, shall  be  applied  in  making  such  provision  as  the  said  Trustees  shall  determine  for 
the  education  of  such  persons  for  the  ministry  as  they  may  deem  fit  subjects  therefor. 

Sect.  5.  Be  it  further  enacted.  That  the  powers  granted  by  this  act  may  be  enlarged, 
restrained  or  repealed,  at  the  pleasure  of  the  Legislature. 

Sect.  6.  Be  it  further  enacted.  That  the  Rev.  Thomas  B.  Ripley,  of  Portland,  be,  and 
he  hereby  is  authorized  to  fix  the  time  and  place  of  holding  the  first  meeting  of  said  cor- 
iwration,  by  publishing  a  notification  thereof  in  the  newspai)er8  printed  in  Portland,  at 
least  three  weeks  successively  before  the  time  of  meeting. 


244  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

were  small.  At  first  the  Society  aimed  to  pay  the  board 
and  tuition  of  its  beneficiaries,  and  to  supply  them  with 
needed  books.  Afterward,  the  annual  appropriation  was 
from  twenty  to  fifty  dollars.  The  young  men  in  the  col- 
lege were  required  by  the  Society,  for  two  hours  each  day, 
to  till  a  piece  of  ground,  which  was  officially  assigned  to 
each.  It  was  also  "Resolved,  That  churches  in  whose 
vicinity  there  are  academies  be  requested  to  afford  aid  to 
.  .  .  beneficiaries  of  this  Society,  by  furnishing  them 
with  board  and  such  other  aid  as  may  be  needed,  while 
they  are  pursuing  their  studies." 

But  there  were  still  those  in  the  churches  who  failed  to 
sympathize  with  these  endeavors  to  secure  an  educated 
ministry.  In  the  Circular  Letter  of  the  Bowdoinham 
Association  for  1822,  in  a  reference  to  the  various  objects 
which  should  be  remembered  in  the  benevolence  of  the 
churches,  mention  was  made  of  *'the  education  of  minis- 
ters, a  very  important  object,  though  misunderstood  and 
consequently  not  approved  by  some,  but  an  object  which 
we  apprehend  will  finally  receive  the  approbation  of  all. '  * 
Not  until  1824  do  we  find  in  the  Minutes  of  the  Lin- 
coln Association  any  reference  to  the  Education  Society. 
The  meeting  that  year  was  held  in  Woolwich,  and  Presi- 
dent Chaplin  of  Waterville  College  closed  the  session  with 
a  sermon  "to  the  great  satisfaction  of  those  present." 
Doubtless  in  private  he  had  a  word  to  say  with  reference 
to  the  Education  Society.  Rev.  Hadley  Proctor  of  China 
prepared  the  Circular  Letter  that  year,  and  in  it  he  found 
an  opportunity  to  make  a  plea  for  ministerial  education. 
"An  impression  too  generally  prevails  among  us,"  he 
wrote,  *  'that  nothing  further  is  necessary  to  qualify  a  man 
to  preach  the  gospel  than  to  be  called  of  God.  We  would 
humbly  sit  and  receive  instruction  from  the  experience 
of  elder  but  unlettered  brethren ;  we  would  not  detract 
from  them  the  least  share  of  that  praise  which  is  indeed 
their  just  due.  Their  zeal,  their  prudence,  their  industry, 
their  sincere  piety,  should  have  our  unqualified  approba- 
tion.    But,  dear  brethren,  the  times  are  rapidly  changing. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  245 

Your  children  are  becoming  acquainted  with  all  the  arts 
and  sciences.  Knowledge  is  indeed  increasing  among  all 
classes  of  people,  and  it  is  more  and  more  necessary  that 
those  who  are  set  for  the  defence  of  the  gospel  should  be 
acquainted  with  all  those  branches  of  literature  which  can 
aid  them  in  the  sacred  cause.  A  minister  to  teach  must 
at  least  know  as  much  as  his  hearers.  There  is  no  branch 
of  learning  but  may  be  profitably  employed  by  a  Christian 
minister.  .  .  .  Perhaps  a  good  number  of  those  whom 
God  has  seen  fit  to  renew  in  the  past  year  he  may  call  to 
the  great  work  of  the  ministry.  If  this  should  be  the 
case,  it  certainly  is  desirable  that  they  should  have  a  good 
stock  of  useful  knowledge.  But  many  of  them  are  poor, 
and  unable  to  purchase  the  necessary  books,  or  to  defray 
the  expenses  which  must  necessarily  be  incurred  in  obtain- 
ing such  knowledge.  They  must  therefore  look  to  the 
churches  for  aid.  And  will  you  not  assist  them?  Will 
you  leave  them  to  feel  all  the  embarrassment,  which 
the  want  of  knowledge  must  at  times  bring  upon  them? 
There  are  at  this  period  subtle  enemies  to  encounter,  and 
Christian  ministers  must  be  prepared  to  meet  them." 

With  such  appeals  as  these  the  friends  of  ministerial 
education  endeavored  to  secure  the  means  they  needed  in 
promoting  the  interests  of  the  Education  Society.  But 
little  can  be  learned  concerning  the  work  of  the  Society  in 
its  earlier  years.  Oct.  5,  1830,  the  trustees  voted  to  form 
a  branch  of  the  Northern  Baptist  Education  Society,  which 
had  taken  the  place  of  the  Massachusetts  Baptist  Educa- 
tion Society,  and  which  organized  branches  in  all  of  the 
New  England  States.  The  Maine  Baptist  Convention  met 
at  North  Yarmouth  Oct.  5,  6  and  7,  1830.  On  the  evening 
of  the  6th  a  public  conference  was  held,  in  which  there 
were  addresses  with  reference  to  ministerial  education  by 
Messrs.  Thresher,^  Pilsbury,  Barron  and  others,  and  in 
the  Minutes  appears  this  record :   '  'About  seventy  dollars 

'Mr.  Thresher  had  been  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  church  in  Portland,  but  resigned 
March  14,  1830.  May  26,  1830,  he  was  elected  corresponding  secretary  of  the  Northern 
Baptist  Education  Society  at  its  first  annual  meeting.  The  new  Society  entered  ut>on  its 
work  with  sixty-seven  beneficiaries. 


246  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

were  subscribed  upon  the  spot,  and  nearly  the  same  sum 
the  preceding  evening,  when  the  Maine  Branch  of  the 
Northern  Baptist  Education  Society  was  formed."  On 
the  following  day,  Oct.  7th,  the  committee  on  ministerial 
education  made  a  report,  and  the  following  resolution 
was  adopted:  "That  this  Convention  recommend  to  the 
churches  of  the  State  to  seek  out  and  cherish  with  a  fos- 
tering and  diligent  hand  all  such  persons  as  give  evi- 
dence that  they  are  called  to  the  sacred  ministry,  and  to 
encourage  all  such  in  their  efforts  to  obtain  a  suitable 
education." 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Convention  held  at 
Bloomfield,  Oct.  12  and  13,  1831,  it  was  reported  that 
there  were  nine  young  brethren,  having  the  ministry  in 
view,  who  were  receiving  aid  from  the  Maine  Branch  of 
the  Northern  Baptist  Education  Society. 

While  the  work  of  providing  for  the  support  of  students 
for  the  ministry  had  now  been  turned  over  to  the  North- 
ern Baptist  Education  Society,  problems  connected  with 
ministerial  education  received  attention,  especially  in  the 
Convention.  In  1832,  at  the  meeting  in  Warren,  the  com- 
mittee on  ministerial  education  said  that  while  much  had 
been  done  there  was  no  fair  prospect  that  with  the  means 
now  provided  a  suitable  supply  of  ministers  would  be 
obtained,  and  suggested  the  necessity  of  encouraging 
and  bringing  forward  "in  a  short  process  of  education," 
either  at  Waterville  or  elsewhere,  those  whom  the  Spirit 
of  God  was  prompting  to  devote  themselves  to  the  work  of 
the  Christian  ministry,  leaving  "a  protracted  education 
of  seven  or  nine  years"  to  "those  who  have  the  means 
at  their  own  command,"  and  that  "some  person  or  per- 
sons capable  of  the  service  should  be  authorized  to  take 
the  superintendence,  and  aid  and  direct  the  course  of 
studies  by  which  the  servants  whom  the  Lord  may  call 
may  be  the  better  prepared  for  the  infinitely  important 
work  to  which  he  is  calling  them."  This  report  from  the 
committee  on  ministerial  education,  consisting  of  Rev. 
Daniel  Merrill,  Rev.  Wm.  0.  Grant  and  Rev.  J.  Hatch, 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  247 

was  accepted.  It  gave  expression  to  the  strong  convic- 
tion of  many  in  the  churches,  who  were  not  satisfied 
with  the  change  at  Waterville  in  accordance  with  which 
the  Maine  Baptist  Literary  and  Theological  Institution 
had  become  Waterville  College.  The  Newton  Theological 
Institution  was  designed  for  college  graduates,  and  many 
men  who  wished  to  devote  themselves  to  the  work  of 
the  ministry  could  not  take  the  extended  course  of  study 
which  college  and  seminary  training  required.  Accord- 
ingly the  Convention  appointed  a  committee,  consisting  of 
Messrs.  Pilsbury,  Fogg,  Kendall,  Haynes  and  N.  Robin- 
son, to  take  into  consideration  the  report  of  the  committee 
on  ministerial  education.  The  report  of  this  committee 
was  as  follows :  '  'That  it  is  the  opinion  of  your  commit- 
tee that  such  a  school  as  is  contemplated  in  the  aforesaid 
report,  the  object  of  which  should  be  to  give  men  called 
of  God  to  the  gospel  ministry  an  opportunity  to  obtain 
such  an  education  as  duty  and  circumstance  may  make 
appear,  ought  to  be  established  in  some  suitable  place  in 
the  State.  Your  committee  therefore  recommend  that  it 
be  recommended  to  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  Maine 
Branch  of  the  Northern  Baptist  Education  Society  to 
authorize  some  person  or  persons  to  devise  and  mature  a 
plan  to  carry  into  operation  such  a  school  as  is  contem- 
plated above." 

At  its  annual  meeting  in  1833,  the  Education  Society 
took  the  following  action:  "Voted,  That  it  is  deemed 
expedient  that  in  some  place  in  our  State  a  school  be 
established  in  which  young  men,  designed  of  God  for  the 
Christian  ministry,  might  receive  such  an  education  as  by 
a  short  course  of  instruction  might  prepare  them  for 
the  labors  of  ministers  in  the  vast  fields  of  our  widely 
extended  State." 

But  the  vision  tarried.  The  report  of  the  Society  for 
1836  was  written  by  Rev.  S.  F.  Smith,  pastor  of  the 
church  in  Waterville.  The  beneficiaries  had  increased  to 
sixteen.  "The  object  and  principles  of  the  Society,  we 
believe,"  said  the  report,  "are  becoming  more  and  more 


248  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

clearly  understood.  It  is  now  so  perfectly  known  that  no 
man  can  reasonably  have  a  doubt,  if  he  will  but  see  and 
hear  for  himself,  that  we  do  not  seek  to  make  ministers, 
but  only  to  prepare  those  whom  God  has  already  called  to 
the  work  for  more  abundant  usefulness  and  efficiency." 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Convention  on  the  following 
day  this  report  was  adopted:  "While  we  view  with  spe- 
cial interest  the  continuance  among  us  of  our  fathers  in 
Christ,  the  remnants  of  a  former  age,  who  have  been 
abundantly  honored  in  the  successful  ministry  of  the 
Word,  and  while  we  acknowledge  the  necessity  of  piety  of 
a  deep  and  abiding  permanency,  and  an  evident  call  of 
God  to  the  work,  as  the  first  and  pre-eminent  qualification 
for  the  gospel  ministry,  still  under  the  circumstances  of 
the  present  age.  Resolved,  That  it  is  the  duty  of  every 
brother  now  entering  the  ministry  to  obtain  the  highest 
possible  degree  of  mental  discipline  and  training  which 
his  age  and  circumstances  will  admit." 

But  evidently  a  strong  remnant  remained.  Certainly 
the  movement  in  favor  of  some  shorter  way  into  the 
ministry  than  was  possible  by  a  course  at  Waterville 
and  Newton  was  still  strong  enough  for  a  vigorous  effort 
in  behalf  of  the  establishment  of  a  theological  school 
in  Maine,  and  in  the  Minutes  for  1836  the  following 
announcement  appeared:  "Our  brethren  who  have  felt 
so  deep  an  interest  in  the  establishment  of  such  an  insti- 
tution will  be  gratified  to  learn  that  the  prospect  in  this 
respect  has  greatly  brightened.  We  hope  to  be  able  soon 
to  say  something  more  definite.  .  .  .  The  permanent 
location  of  the  institution  is  confidently  anticipated  as 
early  as  the  spring." 

The  movement  to  which  reference  is  here  made  resulted 
in  the  establishment  of  a  distinctively  theological  institu- 
tion at  Thomaston.  It  is  probable  ^  that  the  conception 
and  the  plan  originated  with  Prof.  Calvin  Newton,  whose 
connection  with  Waterville  College  as  a  professor  had  just 

^This  was  the  opinion  of  the  late  James  Upham,  D.  D.,  who  became  connected  with  the 
institution  at  Thomaston  as  a  professor  in  1840. 


BAPTIST  CHURCH,  THOMASTON. 


I 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  249 

closed.  The  requisite  charter  was  obtained.  Dea.  Nehe- 
miah  Boynton  was  elected  treasurer,  Rev.  Amariah  Kal- 
loch,  secretary,  and  the  institution  was  opened  in  1838, 
with  Rev.  Calvin  Newton,  professor  of  Hebrew  and  bibli- 
cal theology,  and  Rev.  Lorenzo  B.  Allen,  teacher  in  the 
preparatory  department.  The  institution  announced  a  full 
course  of  study,  substantially  the  same  as  in  the  Newton 
Theological  Institution,  also  a  limited  course  of  two  years, 
embracing  the  English  branches  of  the  full  course,  and  a 
preparatory  department,  with  studies  varied  according  to 
the  needs  of  the  student.  The  institution  was  open  to  any 
pious  young  man  who  presented  from  the  church  of  which 
he  was  a  member  a  certificate  of  his  purpose  to  study  for 
the  ministry. 

The  catalogue  for  1838-39  gives  the  names  and  resi- 
dences of  nineteen  students,  three  in  the  full  course,  eight 
in  the  limited  and  eight  in  the  preparatory.  The  cata- 
logue for  1839-40  gives  the  names  of  four  students  in  the 
full  course,  five  in  the  limited  and  fourteen  in  the  prepar- 
atory, or  twenty-three  in  all.  The  catalogue  for  1840-41 
records  seven  in  the  full  course,  four  in  the  limited  and 
thirteen  in  the  preparatory,  or  twenty-four  in  all. 

But  the  enterprise  had  no  adequate  financial  support. 
Moreover,  says  Dr.  Upham,  "Both  Waterville  and  New- 
ton frowned  on  it,  and  not  all  of  the  uneducated  pastors 
around  it,  and  on  whose  sympathy  and  aid  it  largely 
rested,  proved  friends  indeed.  ...  It  had  but  one 
large-hearted  friend,  and  he  lost  hope  before  I  resigned,— 
Nehemiah  Boynton,  a  young,  successful  merchant  of 
Thomaston,  beautiful  in  face  and  form,  and  still  more 
beautiful  in  character,  and  a  faithful  steward  of  the  Mas- 
ter. He  subsequently  removed  to  Massachusetts,  where 
for  years  he  served  the  denomination  as  treasurer  (with- 
out salary)  of  the  Missionary  Union.  "^ 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Convention,  held  in  Turner,  June 
15,  1842,  a  special  session  was  held  to  consider  the  condi- 
tion and  needs  of  the  Thomaston  Theological  Institution. 

*  Communication  in  Zion's  Advocate. 


250  HISTORY    OF    THE    BAPTISTS    IN    MAINE. 

Rev.  T.  B.  Robinson,  who  had  been  appointed  by  the  trus- 
tees of  the  institution  chairman  of  a  committee  to  bring 
the  state  of  affairs  in  the  institution  before  the  Conven- 
tion, was  present,  and  as  the  result  of  the  conference  then 
held  a  committee,  of  which  Rev.  Adam  Wilson  was  chair- 
man, was  appointed  "to  consider  and  report  what  advice 
should  be  given  to  the  board  of  trustees  at  the  present 
crisis."  On  the  following  day  this  committee  presented 
a  report  which  was  unanimously  adopted.  This  report 
expressed  a  lively  interest  in  the  college  at  Waterville,  and 
regarded  the  existence  of  a  theological  institution  in  the 
State  as  very  desirable,  but  made  no  mention  of  Thom- 
aston.  "In  respect  to  relieving  the  institution  from  its 
pecuniary  embarrassments,"  while  too  little  acquainted 
with  the  details  of  its  business  to  give  advice  on  that 
point,  the  committee  added  that,  in  their  opinion,  "the 
trustees  would  do  well  to  take  immediate  measures  to  pay 
all  the  debts  of  the  institution  and  to  prosecute  those 
measures  to  an  early  completion,  even  though  this  should 
require  the  sale  of  the  property."  They  wished  the  trus- 
tees to  understand  that,  in  the  view  of  the  committee,  the 
sale  of  the  property  need  not  involve  the  suspension  of  the 
institution. 

But  it  did,  and  the  suspension  was  a  permanent  one. 
An  attempt  was  now  made  to  unite  the  Baptists  of  Maine 
and  the  Baptists  of  New  Hampshire  in  the  support  of  the 
New  Hampton  Literary  and  Theological  Institution,  and 
at  the  meeting  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Convention  at  War- 
ren, June  21,  1843,  this  matter  was  referred  to  a  commit- 
tee of  one  from  each  association.  This  committee,  at 
the  meeting  of  the  Convention  in  China,  June  19,  1844, 
reported  that  eight  of  the  associations  had  adopted  reso- 
lutions in  favor  of  the  proposed  union  "on  such  terms  as 
will  not  prejudice  the  interests  of  the  college  at  Water- 
ville or  interfere  with  our  relations,  as  they  have  here- 
tofore existed,  towards  Newton  Theological  Institution," 
and  recommended  that  the  churches  encourage  young 
brethren,  who  give  evidence  that  they  have  been  called 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  251 

to  the  work  of  the  gospel  ministry,  "and  whose  age  or 
other  circumstances  will  not  allow  of  their  taking  a  full 
course  of  collegiate  and  theological  instruction,  to  avail 
themselves  of  the  advantages  of  the  institution  at  New 
Hampton." 

In  this  way  a  solution  was  found  for  a  difficult  problem. 
But  it  was  impracticable  to  raise  the  $250  which  the  Con- 
vention voted  to  raise  annually  for  the  institution  at  New 
Hampton.  "The  mass  of  our  pastors  and  churches  in  the 
State,"  said  the  committee  in  its  report  to  the  Convention 
in  1846,  "cherish  a  very  inoperative  approval  of  the  New 
Hampton  movement."  This  "inoperative  approval"  con- 
tinued, and  at  the  meeting  of  the  Convention  in  Dover, 
June  15,  1847,  it  was  "Resolved,  That  the  subject  of  a 
co-operation  with  the  Theological  Department  of  the  New 
Hampton  Institution  having  been  prominent  in  our  delib- 
erations during  five  annual  meetings  ;  having  adopted  res- 
olutions and  plans  of  action  upon  the  subject  without 
effect,  we  are  satisfied  that  the  general  tone  of  feeling  in 
the  State,  while  entirely  cordial  to  the  prosperity  of  New 
Hampton,  renders  it  expedient  that  any  official  connection 
existing  between  this  Convention  and  the  Department  at 
New  Hampton  should  be  dissolved,  but  that  we  hold  out 
to  them  the  encouragement  to  send  an  agent  into  this 
State." 

Meanwhile  the  friends  of  ministerial  education  had  con- 
tinued their  work,  but  under  certain  embarrassments. 
The  financial  crisis  in  1837  had  its  influence  upon  the 
Maine  Branch  of  the  Northern  Baptist  Education  Society. 
At  the  meeting  of  the  Society  in  1838,  two  of  its  members 
were  appointed  "to  collect  funds  to  replenish  an  empty 
treasury. ' ' 

The  Bowdoinham  Association  met  at  Topsham,  Sept. 
25,  1838,  and  in  connection  with  its  meeting  was  held 
the  first  anniversary  of  the  "Bowdoinham  Baptist  Educa- 
tion Society."  This  had  no  connection  with  the  Maine 
Branch  of  the  Northern  Baptist  Education  Society,  and 
was  organized,  it  would  seem,  in  the  interest  of  the  newly- 


252  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

established  theological  seminary  at  Thomaston.  Mention 
is  made  of  a  second  meeting  of  the  Society  in  1839,  but  as 
no  further  record  of  its  proceedings  appears,  it  is  prob- 
able that  the  Society  had  already  ceased  to  exist.  At  the 
annual  meeting  of  the  Maine  Branch  of  the  Northern  Bap- 
tist Education  Society  in  1843,  a  proposition  was  made  to 
raise  $400  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  Society.  To  this  prop- 
osition a  favorable  response  was  at  once  made,  and  the 
amount  was  pledged  by  twenty  individuals.  An  altera- 
tion was  made  in  the  rules  of  the  Society  at  this  meeting, 
discontinuing  the  requirement  that  beneficiaries  should 
give  notes  promising  to  refund  the  sums  loaned  to  them. 
'  'The  money  given  to  the  young  men  is  to  be  a  gift,  rely- 
ing on  their  piety  and  sense  of  honor  to  aid  to  the  utmost 
of  their  power  the  Society  that  has  come  cheerfully  and 
disinterestedly  to  their  aid." 

But  the  branch  relationship  with  the  Northern  Baptist 
Education  Society  was  not  regarded  as  altogether  desir- 
able,^ and  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Society  at  Bruns- 
wick, June  15,  1846,  this  relationship  was  terminated,  and 
a  committee  was  chosen  to  revise  the  constitution,  and  if 
necessary,  apply  to  the  Legislature  for  a  charter  under 
the  name  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Education  Society.''    This 

*  Rev.  E.  S.  Small,  in  reviewing  the  history  of  the  Society  in  the  annual  report  of  the 
board  in  1887  (Minutes,  pp.  30,  31),  referring  to  this  branch  relationship,  says:  "There 
are  no  signs  of  prosperity  to  vindicate  the  wisdom  of  this  new  plan.  Not  even  a  record- 
book  seems  to  have  been  kept  by  this  Branch.  In  some  years  the  minutes  and  report 
appear  together  with  those  of  the  State  Convention  ;  sometimes  only  the  election  of  offi- 
cers is  deemed  worthy  of  record.  In  1834,  it  was  left  for  the  State  Convention  to  tell  us 
that  the  Maine  Branch  of  the  N.  B.  E.  S.  held  its  annual  meeting,  and  even  to  pass  the 
resolution,  'That  in  view  of  the  increasing  demand  for  intelligent  ministers  of  the  gospel 
ministry,  it  is  incumbent  on  the  religious  community  to  take  measures  to  sustain  those 
young  brethren  in  a  course  of  preparatory  studies.'  It  was  also  left  for  the  State  Con- 
vention to  resolve :  'That  it  be  recommended  to  the  churches  in  this  State  to  form  edu- 
cation societies  auxiliary  to  the  Maine  Branch  of  the  N.  B.  E.  S.,  and  to  contribute 
liberally  to  its  support ;  and  that  it  be  recommended  to  the  Maine  Branch  to  take  up 
every  suitable  applicant.'  So,  between  the  State  Convention  and  a  secretary  of  the  N. 
B.  E.  S.,  who  was  present,  and  who  offered  one  of  the  resolutions,  the  Branch,  though 
somewhat  withered,  was  adorned  with  a  few  tokens  of  life." 

^  The  charter  secured  was  as  follows : 
Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  in  Legislattire  assembled,  as 
follows : 

Section  1.  Nathaniel  West  Williams,  Handel  G.  Nott,  Franklin  Merriam,  Joshua 
Millet,  David  N.  Sheldon,  James  Gilpatrick,  Benjamin  F.  Shaw,  Arthur  Drinkwater„ 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  253 

committee  made  a  report  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the 
Society  held  in  Dover,  June  15,  1847.  A  new  charter 
was  announced  and  alterations  in  the  constitution  were 
adopted. 

At  the  annual  meeting-  of  the  Society  in  1849,  Rev.  T.  F. 
Caldicott,  financial  secretary  of  the  Northern  Baptist  Edu- 
cation Society,  was  present.  Continued  co-operation  was 
evidently  desired  by  that  organization,  and  again  it  was 
"Resolved,  That  the  Maine  Baptist  Education  Society  be 
in  future  auxiliary  to  the  Northern  Baptist  Education 
Society,  so  far  as  this  can  be  done  consistently  with  the 
legal  rights  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Education  Society  as  an 
incorporated  body,  the  object  being  to  secure  a  more  inti- 
mate and  practical  co-operation  in  the  accomplishment  of 
those  great  objects  at  which  both  Societies  aim." 

The  secretary  of  the  Northern  Baptist  Education  Society 
was  invited  to  visit  the  churches  in  Maine  and  receive  con- 

William  Tilley  and  William  R.  Frescott,  togrether  with  such  others  as  may  be  associated 
with  them,  are  hereby  constituted  a  body  politic  and  corporate,  by  the  name  of  the 
Maine  Baptist  Education  Society,  and  they  and  their  successors  shall  be  and  continue  a 
body  politic  and  corporate  by  that  name. 

Sec.  2.  The  said  Society  may  have  a  common  seal  by  the  name  aforesaid ;  may  sue 
and  be  sued,  and  may  choose  such  officers  and  make  such  by-laws,  not  repugrnant  to  the 
constitution  and  laws  of  this  State,  as  may  be  necessary  for  the  promotion  of  the  objects 
of  the  Society. 

Sec.  3.  The  said  Society  are  hereby  made  capable  in  law  of  receiving  any  grants,  or 
devises  of  lands,  or  tenements  in  fee  simple,  or  for  a  less  estate,  and  also  any  donations 
or  bequests  of  money,  or  other  personal  estate,  which  may  have  been  made,  or  which 
may  hereafter  be  made  by  any  person  or  persons  whatever,  and  to  use  and  improve  the 
same  for  the  purposes  and  according  to  the  directions  herein  mentioned  ;  provided,  that 
the  said  Society  shall  at  no  time  take,  hold  or  possess,  in  real  or  personal  estate,  a  greater 
amount  than  twenty  thousand  dollars  upon  a  first  valuation. 

Sec.  4.  All  grants,  donations,  devises  and  bequests,  of  any  real  or  personal  estate,  to 
the  said  Society,  not  exceeding  in  amount  the  sum  of  twenty  thousand  dollars,  shall  be 
used  and  improved  to  the  best  advantage,  and  the  annual  income  thereof,  together  with 
the  amount  and  contributions  which  shall  be  made  to  the  said  Society,  shall  be  applied 
annually  to  the  assistance  of  such  young  men  in  their  education  for  the  ministry  as  the 
Society  shall  determine  to  be  fit  subjects  therefor. 

Sec.  5.  The  said  Society,  when  they  shall  deem  it  most  for  their  advantage,  may  sell 
and  dispose  of,  in  fee  simple  or  otherwise,  all  or  any  of  the  real  estate  belonging  to  them, 
and  invest  the  same  in  funds,  or  may  apply  their  personal  estate  to  the  purchase  of  real 
estate,  and  the  income  of  said  real  or  personal  estate  shall  be  applied  to  the  objects  for 
which  said  estate  was  given. 

Sec.  6.  All  deeds,  grants,  covenants  and  agreements,  to  be  made  for  and  in  behalf  of 
said  Society,  shall  be  executed  under  the  common  seal  of  the  same,  and  signed  by  the 
President  and  Secretary. 

[Approved,  July  20,  1846.] 


254  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

tributions  for  ministerial  education,  subject,  however,  to 
the  direction  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Education  Society,  and 
as  long  as  the  members  of  the  latter  Society  were  satisfied 
with  this  plan  they  agreed  to  vote  their  surplus  funds,  '  *if 
we  have  any,"  to  the  Northern  Baptist  Education  Society 
on  the  condition  that  if  they  should  be  in  need  of  funds 
they  should  be  allowed  to  draw  on  such  surplus  funds  in 
the  hands  of  the  Northern  Baptist  Education  Society. 

This  arrangement  was  regarded  at  the  next  annual 
meeting  as  so  satisfactory  that  the  Society  voted  "That 
the  funds  in  the  treasury  be  paid  to  Rev.  T.  F.  Caldicott, 
secretary  of  the  Northern  Baptist  Education  Society." 
The  report  showed  that  sixteen  young  men  belonging  to 
the  State  of  Maine  were  receiving  aid  in  the  prosecution 
of  their  studies,  thirteen  connected  with  the  Northern 
Baptist  Education  Society  and  three  with  the  Maine  Bap- 
tist Education  Society. 

The  Maine  Baptist  Education  Society  continued  this 
auxiliary  relation  to  the  Northern  Baptist  Education  Soci- 
ety several  years.  At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Society, 
June  16,  1857,  Rev.  S.  L.  Caldwell  and  Rev.  C.  G.  Porter 
were  appointed  a  committee  to  submit  some  plan  for  the 
future  operations  of  the  Society.  Certain  recommenda- 
tions were  made  by  this  committee,  and  at  the  next  annual 
meeting,  held  at  Waterville  June  15,  1858,  the  auxiliary 
relationship  to  the  Northern  Baptist  Education  Society 
was  discontinued.  The  report  said :  '  'It  seems  to  your 
board  desirable  that  the  Society  undertake,  at  once,  the 
supply  of  the  necessities  of  students  for  the  ministry 
within  our  State.  This  has  been  done  for  years  by  the 
Northern  Baptist  Education  Society  and  our  funds  have 
been  passed  over  to  them.  This  removes  the  pressure  of 
immediate  responsibility,  changes  the  form  and  diminishes 
the  force  of  the  pleas  for  aid,  separates  the  recipients  of 
the  bounty  too  far  from  those  who  bestow  it,  and,  in  all 
respects,  seems  to  work  unfavorably.  We  see  no  reason 
why  the  Baptists  of  Massachusetts  should  send  funds  to 
the  members  of  our  churches  while  studying  at  our  acad- 


REV.    C,    G.    PORTER. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  255 

emies  and  at  our  college.  If  necessity  compel  and  their 
charity  permit,  we  may  allow  such  of  our  students  as 
pursue  theological  study  at  Newton  to  receive  their  aid. 
But  the  whole  tendency  of  the  present  arrangement  is, 
evidently,  to  debilitate  our  Society,  to  foster  the  spirit 
of  indifference  and  irresponsibility  on  the  part  of  our 
churches,  and  to  loosen  the  bonds  that  unite  our  young 
men  to  their  homes." 

The  report  closed  with  the  recommendation  that  the 
existing  relation  between  the  Maine  Baptist  Education 
Society  and  the  Northern  Baptist  Education  Society  should 
be  terminated,  and  this  recommendation  was  unanimously 
adopted. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


Zion's  Advocate. 

The  Convention  Minutes  for  1828  give  the  number  of 
Baptists  in  Maine  as  13,037.  For  a  number  of  years  a 
weekly  religious  paper,  The  Christian  Mirror,  had  been 
published  in  Portland  in  the  interest  of  the  Congregation- 
alists  of  Maine.  On  the  part  of  the  Baptists,  also,  there 
had  been  for  some  time  a  conviction  with  reference  to 
the  desirability  of  having  such  an  organ  of  communication 
between  the  members  of  the  churches  in  different  parts  of 
the  State.  May  23,  1823,  the  first  number  of  the  Water- 
ville  Intelligencer  was  published  at  Waterville.  Warren 
Hastings,  a  bookseller  and  printer,  was  its  editor  and 
proprietor,  and  as  he  was  a  Baptist,  and  proposed  to 
devote  the  columns  of  his  paper  in  part  to  religious  affairs, 
it  was  thought  that  the  Baptists  of  Maine  might  find  in 
the  Intelligencer  such  a  helper  as  they  needed  in  their 
denominational  work.  In  fact  the  college  at  Waterville 
was  interested  in  the  enterprise.  President  Chaplin  and 
his  associates  had  been  instrumental  in  the  establishment 
of  Mr.  Hastings'  Waterville  printing  office  and  bookstore, 
and  it  was  at  their  suggestion,  and  with  their  assistance, 
that  Mr.  Hastings  engaged  in  the  publication  of  the  Intel- 
ligencer. The  first  sheet  was  struck  off  by  John  Burleigh 
(a  trader  in  the  village,  who  had  learned  the  printer's 
trade  in  New  Hampshire)  and  Asa  Dalton,  who  acted  as 
his  assistant.  In  this  first  issue  the  proprietor  informed 
his  readers  that  he  had  obtained  more  than  one  thousand 
subscribers,  and  had  engaged  a  printer  "who,  to  correct 
morals  and  the  requisite  skill  in  typography,  adds  a  capital 
sufficient  for  all  the  exigencies  of  his  employment."  The 
relation  of  the  paper  to  the  denomination  is  indicated  in 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  257 

the  following  record  in  the  Minutes  of  the  Bowdoinham 
Association  for  1823 :  '  'The  Circular  Letter  prepared  by 
Brother  George  D.  Boardman  was  received  and  read ;  but 
it  being  considered  too  long  for  publication  in  the  Minutes, 
it  was  voted  that  Brethren  Briggs,  Chessman  and  Francis 
be  a  committee  to  prepare  a  Circular  Letter,  and  that 
Brother  Briggs  take  measures  to  have  Brother  Board- 
man's  letter  printed  entire  in  the  Waterville  Intelligencer 
and  in  the  Christian  Watchman."^  But  there  were  diffi- 
culties in  connection  with  the  publication  of  a  weekly- 
religious  paper  then  as  there  are  now.  Subscribers  were 
not  always  prompt  in  the  payment  of  their  subscription. 
Mr.  Hastings  at  one  time  found  it  necessary  to  make  an 
earnest  appeal  to  those  in  arrears,  closing  the  appeal  with 
these  pathetic  words  :  '  1  am  persuaded  that  all  who  have 
any  bowels  of  compassion  will  attend  to  the  above  reason- 
able request. ' '  But  the  Baptists  in  Maine  were  not  alto- 
gether satisfied  with  the  Intelligencer.  Millet  says  that 
"through  this  medium  they  did  not  always  speak  what 
they  wished."" 

Another  Baptist  weekly  religious  paper  soon  claimed 
denominational  patronage.  This  was  the  Maine  Baptist 
Herald,  the  first  number  of  which  was  published  at  Bruns- 
wick, July  17,  1824.  Its  first  editor  was  Benjamin  Tit- 
comb,  Jr.,  a  graduate  of  Bowdoin  College,  class  of  1806, 
and  a  son  of  Rev.  Benjamin  Titcomb,  pastor  of  the  Baptist 
church  in  Brunswick.  But  prosperity  did  not  attend  this 
enterprise.  Like  the  Waterville  Intelligencer,  the  Maine 
Baptist  Herald  did  not  always  speak  what  the  Baptists  of 
Maine  would  have  it  speak.  In  the  Corresponding  Letter 
of  the  Bowdoinham  Association  for  1827,  there  is  a  refer- 
ence to  a  recent  attack  upon  the  missionary  enterprise 
made  by  a  correspondent  in  the  Maine  Baptist  Herald. 
Says  this  Corresponding  Letter  :  "That  such  mighty  move- 
ments should  excite  the  enmity,  and  stir  up  the  opposi- 
tion of  the  prince  of  darkness  and  his  subjects,  we  were 

'  The  Christian  Watchman,  published  in  Boston,  was  established  in  1819. 
•  History  of  the  Baptists  in  Maine,  p.  432. 

18 


258  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

prepared  to  expect;  but  that  whole  companies  of  the 
professed  soldiers  of  the  cross  should  make  a  retrograde 
movement— occupy  the  ground,  and  make  use  of  the  weap- 
ons of  the  enemy— and  that  there  should  be  found  within 
our  own  missionary  district  a  'Mephibosheth'  who  would 
undertake  publicly  to  apologize  their  conduct  in  such  a 
manner  as  goes  to  reprobate  indiscriminately  the  mission- 
ary efforts  of  the  day— to  impeach  the  characters  and  con- 
duct of  some  of  the  most  active,  valiant  and  persevering 
in  our  ranks— and  by  his  queries  and  suspicions  encour- 
age infidels  and  skeptics  to  reproach  his  brethren  and  the 
cause  of  God— these  things  are  to  us  matters  of  great  sur- 
prise and  deep  regret."  Evidently  there  were  others  who 
wanted  a  different  Baptist  herald. 

'  When  the  Bowdoinham  Association  met  at  Bloomfield, 
Sept.  24  and  25,  1828,  the  following  resolution  was  pre- 
sented and  adopted :  '  'Resolved,  That  it  be  recommended 
to  the  churches  to  patronize  a  religious  newspaper,  which 
it  is  expected  will  be  printed  in  Portland,  called  Zion's 
Advocate,  the  profits  of  which  will  be  devoted  to  the  cause 
of  domestic  missions."  The  Maine  Baptist  Convention 
met  at  Readfield  Oct.  8  and  9,  1828.  The  following  res- 
olution was  printed  and  adopted  October  9th  :  '  'Resolved, 
That  Zion's  Advocate,  a  religious  newspaper  to  be  printed 
in  Portland,  be  recommended  to  the  patronage  of  the 
churches." 

Prominent  in  this  new  movement  was  Rev.  Adam  Wil- 
son, a  graduate  of  Bowdoin  College,  class  of  1819,  one  year 
before  the  college  at  Waterville  received  its  charter.  He 
studied  theology  with  Dr.  Staughton  of  Philadelphia,  and 
was  ordained  Dec.  13,  1830,  at  Wiscasset,  where  he  had 
gathered  a  church,  and  where  he  remained  as  pastor  until 
1824.  He  then  spent  a  few  months  in  the  service  of  the 
Maine  Baptist  Convention,  after  which  he  accepted  the 
pastorate  of  the  Baptist  churches  in  New  Gloucester  and 
Turner,  serving  these  churches  jointly  as  pastor  nearly 
four  years.  Meanwhile  the  importance  of  establishing  a 
weekly  religious  paper  in  the  interests  of  the  Baptists  of 


ADAM    WILSON,    D.    0. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  259 

Maine  was  frequently  urged  by  brethren  who  were  influ- 
ential in  denominational  circles.  But  to  whom  should  an 
interest  so  vital  to  the  prosperity  of  the  denomination  in 
Maine  be  entrusted?  They  accordingly  cast  about  for  the 
man  who,  in  their  judgment,  was  the  best  qualified  to 
take  the  lead  in  so  important  an  enterprise.  As  the  result 
of  these  inquiries  and  councils  Mr.  Wilson  was  asked  to 
undertake  this  service.  The  choice  could  not  have  been 
more  wisely  made.  Mr.  Wilson  possessed  not  only  a  well- 
disciplined  mind,  but  industry,  energy,  economy,  all  indis- 
pensable requisites  in  bringing  things  to  pass.  Having 
put  his  hand  to  the  plow,  he  was  not  one  who  could  easily 
be  persuaded  to  turn  back.  Sacrifices  he  knew  would  be 
demanded,  and  he  was  ready  to  make  them. 

Mr.  Wilson  purchased  the  subscription  list  of  the  Water- 
ville  Intelligencer,  the  last  number  of  which  appeared  Nov. 
6,  1828.  The  first  number  of  Zion's  Advocate  appeared 
November  11th.  In  it  was  this  announcement :  "Subscrib- 
ers to  the  Waterville  Intelligencer,  to  whom  this  paper 
will  be  sent,  if  they  do  not  wish  to  become  our  subscrib- 
ers will  be  good  enough  to  send  it  back  immediately  by 
mail.  To  all  of  them  who  do  not  send  back  the  first  num- 
ber we  shall  continue  to  send  our  paper." 

The  Advocate  was  a  small  sheet  of  four  pages,  with  five 
columns  on  a  page.  It  was  printed  by  John  F.  Fraser, 
Exchange  Street,  Portland,  who  not  long  after  became 
associated  in  business  with  Charles  Day,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Day  &  Fraser.  The  price  of  the  paper  was  $2.00 
a  year,  payable  in  six  months,  or  $1.50  if  paid  within  six 
weeks.  In  his  first  editorial  Mr.  Wilson  said:  "We  hope 
it  is  in  our  heart  to  benefit  our  brethren  ;  and  if  we  fail  of 
accomplishing  much  in  this  way,  we  hope  that  we  may  be 
counted  worthy  to  receive  the  commendation,  which  our 
Lord  bestowed  upon  the  woman  who  poured  ointment 
upon  his  head— 'She  hath  done  what  she  could.'  " 

Mr.  Wilson  entered  upon  his  work  as  editor  and  pub- 
lisher with  a  clear  understanding  of  the  difficulties  to  be 
met.     "The  successful  publication  of  a  newspaper  sixty 


260  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

years  ago  was  a  very  different  thing-  from  what  it  is  now. 
Indeed,  the  newspaper  era  had  then  but  lately  dawned. 
The  public  taste  at  that  date  had  not  been  educated  up  to 
its  present  eager  demand  for  such  reading.  The  patrons 
of  weekly  papers  were  comparatively  few.  Hence  the 
difficulty  then  experienced  in  originating  and  sustaining 
such  an  enterprise.  The  reader  who  happens  to  have  per- 
sonal knowledge  of  Mr.  Wilson's  struggles  to  keep  the 
Advocate  afloat  and  under  decent  headway,  in  the  early 
years  of  its  history,  will  bear  ready  testimony  to  the 
severity  of  those  struggles,  as  well  as  to  the  success  that 
crowned  them."^ 

The  late  Hon.  William  Goold,  in  some  reminiscences  con- 
nected with  the  beginning  of  the  publication  of  Zion's 
Advocate,  said :  '  'The  office  of  the  printers  of  the  paper, 
Messrs.  Day  &  Fraser,  was  in  the  second  story  of  a  build- 
ing that  stood  next  below  the  Cumberland  National  Bank, 
on  the  south  side  of  Exchange  Street.  'Zion's  Advocate,' 
in  large  letters,  was  over  the  upstairs  entrance.  I  was 
then  a  boy  and  employed  in  a  store  in  the  lower  story 
of  the  same  building.  I  often  saw  Rev.  Adam  Wilson, 
the  editor,  in  his  daily  visits  to  the  printing  office,  and 
have  distinct  recollection  of  his  appearance.  He  came 
down  street  with  a  hurried,  stooping  gait,  having  his 
exchanges  from  the  post  office  under  one  arm,  and  his 
letters  and  manuscripts  in  the  other  hand.  He  seemed 
always  intent  upon  his  business,  and  noticed  no  one  unless 
he  was  spoken  to.  His  manner  indicated  a  thought  that 
the  day  was  too  short  to  accomplish  his  work.  .  .  . 
With  Messrs.  Day  &  Fraser  I  was  well  acquainted.  They, 
I  think,  kept  the  books  and  attended  to  the  business  of  the 
paper.  At  that  time  Erastus  Brooks,  now  the  veteran 
editor  and  proprietor  of  the  New  York  Express,  was  an 
apprentice  to  Day  &  Fraser,  and  boarded  with  Mr.  Day." 

The  beginnings  of  the  paper  were  of  the  humblest  kind. 
Much  of  the  work  was  performed  by  Mr.  Wilson  himself. 
But  his  labors  were  not  confined  to  the  office  alone.    Each 

*  Personal  Recollections  by  Joseph  Ricker,  D.  D.,  p.  150. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  261 

week  he  was  out  among  the  churches  soHciting  subscrib- 
ers, and  impressing  upon  the  brethren  in  the  churches 
that  their  help  was  needed.  At  the  close  of  his  long  con- 
nection with  the  paper,  Dr.  Wilson  made  the  following 
statement  concerning  the  early  struggles  through  which 
he  passed  in  the  establishment  of  the  paper.  "Within  a 
few  months  after  the  first  number  was  printed,  it  was 
found  impossible  to  collect  enough  to  meet  expenses.  A 
contract  was  made  with  the  printers  by  which  it  was 
agreed  that  the  bills  of  the  paper  maker  and  other  similar 
bills  should  be  first  paid,  and  then  the  collections  should 
be  divided  in  three  equal  shares,  one  to  the  editor  and  one 
to  each  printer.  During  the  first  four  years  the  share  to 
each  party  was  less  than  $300.  From  Nov.  11,  1832,  to 
Dec.  31,  1833,  the  dividend  was  $500." 

As  time  went  on  there  were  many  in  the  Baptist 
churches  in  Maine  who  were  not  in  sympathy  with  the 
Advocate  and  with  those  who  were  most  active  and  ear- 
nest in  their  support  of  the  paper.  There  was  a  feeling 
on  the  part  of  some  of  the  older  ministers  and  laymen  that 
Arminianism  was  making  its  way  into  Baptist  churches 
as  it  had  into  the  churches  of  the  Standing  Order.  The 
reading  of  sermons,  or  note  preaching,  as  it  was  called, 
was  taking  the  place  of  extempore  preaching  or  preach- 
ing without  notes.  Elder  Joseph  Bailey  of  Whitefield  ^  and 
his  church  were  so  alarmed  at  these  tendencies  that  in 
1830  they  went  over  to  the  old  school  Baptists.  In  1834-5 
a  series  of  articles,  published  in  the  Advocate,  signed  T. 
B.  R.,  brought  on  a  crisis  the  results  of  which  no  human 
eye  could  foresee.  In  June,  1835,  a  conference  of  the 
disaffected  was  held  in  Litchfield.  Among  those  present 
were  such  well-known  ministers  as  Rev.  David  Nutter, 
Rev.  Henry  Kendall,  Rev.  Manasseh  Lawrence,  Rev.  Reu- 
ben Milner,  Rev.  Wm.  D.  Grant,  Rev.  Wm.  Wyman  and 
Rev.  Wm.  Bowler,  all  men  of  advanced  years.  In  their 
view  the  Advocate  had  not  given  satisfaction  to  quite 
a  large  number  of  its  readers.     It  was  said  to  be  defi- 

'  Rev.  L.  C.  Stevens  in  Zion'a  Advocate. 


262  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

cient  in  doctrinal  teaching,  not  sufficiently  Calvinistic,  and 
excessive  in  its  demands  for  an  educated  ministry.  It  was 
accordingly  decided  to  establish  another  paper.  A  pub- 
lishing- company  was  organized,  with  Rev.  David  Nutter 
as  general  agent  and  acting  editor.  The  first  number  of 
this  paper,  known  as  the  Eastern  Baptist,  appeared  at 
Brunswick  Nov.  15,  1835.  In  a  short  time  Mr.  Nutter 
was  succeeded  by  Rev.  L.  C.  Stevens,  with  whom  was 
associated  Rev.  E.  R.  Warren. 

Mr.  Stevens  had  no  sympathy  with  the  objects  of  the 
new  paper,  but  Mr.  Nutter  asked  him  to  take  charge  of 
it  in  his  absence  for  a  few  weeks.  He  was  a  young 
man,  only  twenty-four  years  of  age,  and  when,  after  Mr. 
Nutter's  return,  he  was  asked  to  continue  his  service  in 
connection  with  the  paper,  he  consented,  seizing  what  he 
regarded  as  a  good  opportunity  for  making  himself  useful 
by  so  conducting  the  paper  as  to  restore  unity  among  the 
Baptists  of  Maine.  Concerning  the  result  of  his  efforts, 
Mr.  Stevens  has  left  this  record  :  "It  was  remarkable  that 
the  paper  was  no  sooner  under  way  than  its  projectors  and 
friends  all  seemed  assured  that  victory  in  their  behalf  and 
in  behalf  of  their  ideas  was  certain.  Their  very  preju- 
dices at  once  perceptibly  abated,  and  they  now  mingled 
with  their  brethren  of  a  so-called  weak  theology  and  edu- 
cational biases  with  calmness  and  pleasure.  While  the 
Baptist  was  conducted  with  an  earnest  purpose  for  peace, 
the  Advocate  was  not  less  anxious  to  reach  the  same 
result.  Neither  paper  said  a  word  about  disaffections. 
Neither  published  an  article  which  the  other  would  not 
have  published  if  desired.  In  less  than  two  years  the 
causes  that  produced  the  Baptist  existed  only  in  memory 
or  in  name." 

But  the  publication  of  the  Eastern  Baptist  was  con- 
tinued. It  went  into  every  city  and  most  of  the  towns 
in  the  States.  More  than  three-fourths  of  the  pastors 
received  its  weekly  visits.  When  in  1837,  at  Alton,  111., 
Elijah  P.  Love  joy,  a  son  of  Maine,  was  killed  by  an  anti- 
slavery  mob,  the  Eastern  Baptist  was  more  emphatic  in 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  263 

its  opposition  to  slavery  then  was  the  Advocate,  which 
held  to  its  more  conservative  course.  But  it  was  at  len^h 
seen  that  the  field  was  not  large  enough  for  two  papers, 
and  before  long  financial  reasons  were  forceful  in  bringing 
about  the  union  of  the  two  papers.  Says  Mr.  Stevens  : 
*'It  was  plain  that  two  Baptist  papers  could  not  be  sup- 
ported, that  if  the  Baptist  pushed  forward,  it  must  be  at  a 
large  expense,  that  the  Advocate  was  entitled  by  priority 
of  existence  and  the  large  sacrifice  of  its  publisher  to  be, 
in  perpetuum,  the  Baptist  paper  of  Maine,  and  that  I  could 
not  give  up  the  work  of  a  Christian  pastor  for  that  of  an 
editor.  All  was  now  peace  in  the  denomination  in  the 
State.  No  one  connected  with  the  Baptist  had  any  wish 
that  the  Advocate  should  retire,  whilst  it  was  believed 
that  the  Advocate  would  henceforward  take  the  high- 
est ground  upon  slavery  that  the  good  of  the  oppressed 
required." 

The  union  of  the  two  papers  was  effected  in  May,  1839. 
The  united  paper  took  the  name  of  both  papers,  and  the 
editorial  staff,  under  the  new  arrangement,  was  made  up 
of  the  editor  of  the  Advocate  and  two  of  the  editors  of 
the  Eastern  Baptist.  In  the  first  issue  of  the  paper  as 
thus  published,  Mr.  Wilson  said  :  "The  two  papers  do  not 
come  together  on  a  compromise  principle.  Neither  could 
yield  or  would  ask  that." 

Mr.  Wilson,  in  the  previous  year  had  accepted  a  call  to 
the  pastorate  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Bangor.  In  his 
announcement  now  of  his  retirement  from  the  editorial 
control  of  the  Advocate,  he  said  :  "Mr.  Joseph  Ricker  is 
to  take  the  principal  charge  from  this  time.  The  former 
editor  will  discontinue  his  relation  to  the  paper  for  the 
present.  He  expects  also  the  aid  of  two  assistant  editors. 
It  is  proper  that  we  should  say  Mr.  Ricker  is  a  young  man, 
and  has  yet  to  learn  from  experience  the  toilsome  and  per- 
plexing duties  of  an  editor.  Our  patrons  will,  as  in  other 
cases,  judge  of  his  qualifications  by  the  results  of  his 
efforts."  Mr.  Ricker  at  that  time  was  closing  his  sen- 
ior year  at  Waterville  College.     His  connection  with  the 


264  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

Advocate  commenced  May  8, 1839,  shortly  before  his  grad- 
uation. 

Mr.  Ricker  retained  his  connection  with  the  paper  until 
Jan.  1,  1843.  It  was  a  period  of  great  unrest  and  agi- 
tation. The  anti-slavery  movement  was  occupying  the 
serious  attention  of  thoughtful  minds.  Millerism  was 
developing  into  excesses  common  to  religious  fanati- 
cism when  at  a  white  heat.  An  educated  ministry  was 
regarded  by  many  with  a  distrust  that  engendered  much 
discussion  and  sometimes  bitter  controversy.  So  also  anti- 
nomianism  was  still  active  enough  in  some  of  the  churches 
to  occasion  unspeakable  harm.  But  Mr.  Ricker  performed 
his  duties  wisely.  He  was  a  safe  leader  for  such  a  troub- 
lous time,  and  the  paper  increased  its  influence  and  effi- 
ciency under  his  direction.  He  desired,  however,  to  be 
engaged  in  the  work  of  the  pastorate,  and  he  withdrew 
from  the  editorship  at  the  close  of  1842. 

Mr.  Wilson  again  took  up  the  burden.  The  first  num- 
ber for  1843  was  issued  with  Adam  Wilson  as  editor,  and 
Rev.  Lewis  Colby,  pastor  of  the  Free  St.  Baptist  church, 
Portland,  as  assistant  editor.  Mr.  Colby  retired  Aug.  8, 
1843.  With  the  first  number  for  1844,  the  paper  was 
slightly  enlarged.  It  was  again  enlarged  Jan.  7,  1848. 
The  paper  was  still  gaining  in  influence  and  power.  But 
Mr.  Wilson  deemed  it  best  that  it  should  pass  into  younger 
hands  and  leave  him  free  again  to  enter  upon  pastoral  ser- 
vice, which  he  loved.  July  19,  1848,  accordingly  he  sold 
the  paper  to  Mr.  S.  K.  Smith,  a  graduate  of  Waterville 
College  in  1845,  and  of  Newton  Theological  Institution  in 
1848.  The  first  number  of  the  paper  issued  under  Mr. 
Smith's  management  appeared  Sept.  1,  1848.  The  paper 
was  still  further  enlarged  at  that  time,  the  material  being 
arranged  in  seven  columns  instead  of  six  as  for  some  time 
heretofore.  With  the  number  bearing  date  Sept.  8,  1848, 
there  was  a  change  also  in  the  title  of  the  paper  receiv- 
ing the  designation,  Zion's  Advocate  and  Eastern  Watch- 
man. The  union  of  the  Watchman  and  the  Reflector  in 
Boston  had  just  occurred,  and  it  was  doubtless  thought 


PROF.    JOHN   B.    FOSTER. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  265 

that  the  name  Eastern  Watchman  would  be  pleasing  to 
the  friends  of  the  the  Watchman  in  Maine.  But  Mr. 
Smith's  connection  with  the  paper  was  a  brief  one.  In 
the  summer  of  1850,  he  was  elected  to  a  professorship  in 
Waterville  College,  and  as  its  duties  were  more  congenial 
to  his  taste  than  were  those  of  editorship,  Mr.  Smith  in 
August  of  that  year  sold  the  Advocate  to  several  breth- 
ren in  Portland,  and  removed  to  Waterville,  where  for 
many  years  he  served  the  college  with  great  ability  in 
the  department  of  English  literature,  and  where  he 
still  resides,  retaining  his  connection  with  the  college  as 
professor-emeritus. 

The  paper  soon  passed  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  John  B. 
Foster,  a  graduate  of  Waterville  College  in  1843.  Since 
his  graduation  he  had  been  principal  of  the  academy  in 
China,  and  the  academy  at  Lexington,  Mass. ;  he  had  also 
taken  a  course  of  theological  study  at  Newton  Theological 
Institution,  where  he  was  graduated  in  1850.  Possessing 
excellent  literary  qualifications,  he  found  a  field  for  use- 
ful service  open  to  him  in  connection  with  the  Advocate. 
The  first  number  of  the  paper  which  appeared  under  his 
editorial  management  was  that  of  Sept.  30,  1850.  Mr. 
Foster  remained  in  charge  of  the  paper  until  Septem- 
ber, 1858,  when,  having  been  elected  to  a  professorship 
in  Waterville  College,  he  sold  the  paper  to  Rev.  W.  H. 
Shailer,  D.  D.,  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  church,  Port- 
land. 

Dr.  Shailer  was  not  without  experience  in  editorial  work. 
Moreover,  he  had  an  extensive  acquaintance  with  minis- 
ters and  churches  within  and  beyond  the  limits  of  the 
State.  During  his  residence  in  Portland  he  had  been  a 
frequent  contributor  to  the  columns  of  the  paper.  He  saw 
its  value  to  the  denomination,  and  believed  that  its  useful- 
ness could  be  still  further  increased.  But  he  must  have 
assistance,  and  Mr.  J.  W.  Colcord  became  associated  with 
Dr.  Shailer  in  the  management  of  the  paper  as  an  assist- 
ant. The  subscription  list  was  enlarged.  Even  the  great 
fire  in  Portland,  July  4,  1866,— when  the  office  of  the 


266  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

paper  was  burned— did  not  bring  disaster  to  the  Advo- 
cate. The  week  following  the  fire  a  small  sheet  was 
issued.  Then,  for  several  weeks,  the  paper  in  its  usual 
form  was  printed  in  Paris,  at  the  office  of  the  Oxford 
Democrat.  Meanwhile  a  temporary  building  had  been 
erected  in  Portland  in  which  B.  Thurston  &  Co. ,  the  print- 
ers of  the  paper  since  1853,  re-established  their  business, 
and  the  Advocate  returned  to  Portland,  where  it  has  since 
remained. 

In  September,  1873,  Dr.  Shailer  sold  the  paper  to  Rev. 
Henry  S.  Burrage,  then  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in 
Waterville.  Dr.  Shailer  was  desirous  of  relieving  himself 
of  some  of  the  burdens  which  he  had  hitherto  borne.  He 
felt  that  he  must  give  up  either  the  pastorate  or  the  Advo- 
cate. But  there  were  reasons  why  it  seemed  to  him  best 
to  retain  awhile  longer  his  relation  to  the  First  Baptist 
church,  of  which  he  had  been  the  pastor  since  1854.  The 
erection  of  the  new  house  of  worship  after  the  great  fire 
had  entailed  a  large  and  unexpected  indebtedness,  and  Dr. 
Shailer  thought  he  ought  not  to  leave  the  pastorate  under 
the  circumstances  in  which  the  church  now  found  itself. 
So  he  closed  his  connection  with  the  paper  Oct.  15,  1873, 
and  since  that  time  the  Advocate  has  been  under  the  edi- 
torial management  of  its  present  editor. 

In  all  these  years  Zion's  Advocate  has  been  of  very 
great  value  to  the  Baptist  denomination  in  Maine.  In  all 
its  history  it  has  aimed  to  be  a  welcome  guest  in  the  Chris- 
tian home.  But  especially  has  its  influence  been  felt  in 
bringing  our  churches  into  closer  relation  and  in  aiding 
our  various  missionary,  educational  and  benevolent  insti- 
tutions. No  worthy  enterprise  has  failed  to  receive  its 
advocacy.  It  has  fearlessly  supported  whatever  meas- 
ures of  reform  it  deemed  of  permanent  value,  rejecting 
nothing  simply  because  it  was  old,  and  adopting  nothing 
simply  because  it  was  new.  Other  state  religious  weekly 
papers  in  New  England  have  passed  away,  but  Zion's 
Advocate  continues  its  helpful  work  in  the  interest  of  the 
Baptists  of  Maine. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  267 

At  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Convention  at  Rock- 
land, Oct.  7,  1903,  the  seventy-fifth  anniversary  of  the 
founding  of  the  paper,  Nov.  11,  1828,  was  made  the 
occasion  of  a  review  of  its  history.  The  committee  on 
publications  in  their  report  fittingly  alluded  to  the  use- 
fulness of  the  paper.  "Heartily  thankful  for  the  many 
years  of  its  history,  largely  indebted  for  its  past  services, 
greatly  dependent  for  its  future  help,  we,  the  Baptists  of 
Maine,  should  not  fail  to  see  the  blessing  and  the  value  of 
Zion's  Advocate.  More  than  any  of  us  can  measure  has 
our  State  paper  been  to  the  prosperity,  the  progress  and 
the  efficiency  of  the  Baptist  denomination  in  Maine." 
There  was  added  a  strong  plea  for  a  heartier  and  more 
generous  support  of  the  paper,  and  at  this  meeting  a  con- 
siderable addition  was  made  to  its  subscription  list.  With 
this  heartier  and  more  generous  support  there  is  no  reason 
why  Zion's  Advocate  should  not  continue  its  helpful  work. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


Sunday  Schools. 

The  beginnings  of  Sunday-school  work  in  Maine  are  to 
be  found  in  the  second  decade  of  the  nineteenth  century. 
There  is  a  doubtless  well-founded  tradition  that  a  union 
Sunday-school,  supported  by  the  members  of  the  First 
Baptist  church  and  the  Second  Parish  church,  Portland, 
was  organized  in  1816,  with  Gen.  John  K.  Smith,  a  prom- 
inent member  of  the  First  Baptist  church,  as  superintend- 
ent. In  1817,  each  of  these  churches  organized  schools  of 
their  own. 

The  first  mention  of  the  Sunday-school  in  our  Maine 
Baptist  Minutes  is  found  in  the  Circular  Letter  of  the  Lin- 
coln Association  in  1818.  In  the  earlier  part  of  the  letter, 
which  was  written  by  Rev.  Hezekiah  Prince,  reference  is 
made  to  the  missionary  spirit  that  had  been  awakened  in 
the  churches  of  the  association.  Then  occurs  this  para- 
graph: * 'There  has  been  considerable  attention  within  a 
few  years  past  to  the  instruction  of  youths  on  the  Sab- 
bath in  what  is  called  Sunday-schools.  This  is  truly  a 
praiseworthy  institution.  Children  are  taught  to  search 
the  Scriptures  and  commit  them  to  memory,  and  receive 
religious  instruction.  It  is  computed  that  more  than  one 
million  of  children  attend  these  schools  in  the  Christian 
world.  If  we  believe  this  is  the  Lord's  doings  we  shall 
doubtless  see  greater  things  than  these.  Oh,  how  import- 
ant it  is  that  we  who  have  named  the  name  of  Christ 
should  train  up  those  committed  to  our  care  in  the  nurture 
and  admonition  of  the  Lord." 

The  Circular  Letter  of  the  Eastern  Maine  Association, 
held  at  Surry  Oct.  3  and  4,  1821,  was  written  by  Rev. 
Enoch  Hunting,  and  urged  the  duty  of  ''Family  Religion 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  269 

and  the  Religious  Education  of  Children."  "We  wish," 
said  the  writer,  "that  the  charge  of  inattention  to  the 
religious  instruction  of  children,  which  has  been  so  often 
brought  against  us,  had  no  better  foundation  than  the 
illiberality  of  those  who  mistake,  or  are  willingly  ignorant 
of  our  sentiments  and  our  practice. ' '  In  urging  the  duty 
reference  was  made  for  the  most  part  to  home  instruc- 
tion, but  these  words  are  added:  "Sabbath-schools  and 
catechetical  instructions  afford  pleasing  aids  to  us  in  this 
laborious  task."  The  books  recommended  for  use  in  the 
religious  instruction  of  the  young  were  "Watts's  Cate- 
chism, Baldwin's  Catechism,  Emerson's  Historical  Cate- 
chism, Lincoln's  Scripture  Questions,  Watts's  Hymns  for 
Children,  Hymns  for  Infant  Minds." 

The  Circular  Letter  of  the  Bowdoinham  Association  in 
1821,  prepared  by  Rev.  Jesse  Martin,  referring  to  the 
instrumentalities  employed  in  giving  the  gospel  to  the 
world,  makes  mention  of  missionary  societies,  education 
societies,  tract  societies  and  Sabbath-schools.  The  Cir- 
cular Letter  of  the  same  association  in  1822,  prepared  by 
Rev.  Daniel  Chessman,  refers  to  Sunday-school  teaching 
as  "a  system  of  instruction"  rapidly  gaining  ground,  and 
adds :  '  'The  Sabbath-school  originated  in  the  benevolent 
exertions  of  one  individual.  Little  did  he  think  of  touch- 
ing a  spring  which  would  set  in  motion  such  vast  machin- 
ery. It  has  given  instruction  to  hundreds  of  thousands, 
and  has  been  the  means  of  the  conversion  of  multitudes." 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Lincoln  Association  at  China, 
Sept.  18  and  19,  1822,  this  resolution  was  adopted  :  '  'That 
we  will  urge  the  persevering  attention  to  Sabbath-schools 
and  catechetical  instruction,  that  the  interests  of  our  chil- 
dren so  happily  advanced  by  this  practice  may  not  be 
suffered  to  decline." 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Cumberland  Association,  held  in 
Hebron  Sept.  29  and  30,  1824,  the  churches  were  requested 
to  furnish  information  in  their  letters  concerning  their 
condition,  work,  &c.,  and  among  the  items  required  was 
the  following,  "whether  Sabbath-schools  are  established." 


270  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

The  same  request  was  made  by  the  Eastern  Maine  Asso- 
ciation at  Eastport  in  1825. 

An  added  impetus  to  Sunday-school  work  in  Maine  was 
given  by  the  organization,  Jan.  11,  1826,  of  the  Maine 
Sunday  School  Union,  comprising  members  of  the  various 
evangelical  denominations  in  the  State.  Many  clergymen 
and  prominent  Sunday-school  workers  from  all  parts  of 
the  State  were  present.  Gov.  Albion  K.  Parris  presided, 
and  Rev.  P.  S.  Ten  Broeck  was  made  secretary.  After 
prayer  by  Rev.  A.  Wiley,  Rev.  Mr.  Wilbur,  agent  of  the 
American  Sunday  School  Union,  addressed  the  meeting, 
having  reference  especially  to  the  character  of  the  work 
in  which  the  Union  was  engaged,  and  the  benefits  to  be 
derived  from  connection  with  it.  It  was  then  voted  to 
organize  a  State  Sabbath  School  Union,  auxiliary  to  the 
American  Sunday  School  Union.  The  following  officers 
were  elected :  Albion  K.  Parris,  president ;  Rev.  William 
Allen,  D.  D.,  Rev.  Jeremiah  Chaplin,  D.  D.,  Robert  H. 
Gardiner,  Esq. ,  and  Rev.  Allen  H.  Cobb,  vice  presidents ; 
Joseph  Harrod,  treasurer ;  William  Cutter,  corresponding 
secretary,  and  Rev.  Thomas  B.  Ripley,  recording  secre- 
tary. The  following  comprised  the  board  of  managers  : 
Rev.  P.  S.  Ten  Broeck,  Rev.  Asa  Cummings,  Gen.  John 
K.  Smith,  Rev.  Joshua  Taylor,  Mr.  Stephen  Waite,  Mr. 
Joseph  Adams,  Rev.  Samuel  Rand,  Capt.  David  Nelson, 
Rev.  James  Lewis.  The  Baptists  on  the  board  of  offi- 
cers were  President  Chaplin  of  Waterville  College,  Rev. 
Thomas  B.  Ripley,  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  church, 
Portland,  and  Gen.  John  K.  Smith,  a  member  of  the  same 
church. 

The  organization  of  the  Sabbath  School  Union  was  fol- 
lowed by  the  establishment  of  auxiliary  societies  in  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  State.  In  the  first  annual  report  of  the 
Union,  presented  Jan.  4,  1827,  a  glimpse  is  afforded  of  the 
work  attempted  in  the  Sunday-schools  of  that  day.  "The 
practice  of  hearing  long  lessons  and  estimating  the  merit 
of  the  scholar  by  the  quantity  committed  to  memory  has. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  271 

been  discarded  to  a  considerable  extent,  and  many  advan- 
tages have  been  found  to  result  from  limited  recitations, 
accompanied  with  full  and  easy  explanations  from  the 
teachers.  .  .  .  The  classes  should  be  small,  and  the 
lesson  confined  to  a  few  verses ;  and  the  same  lesson 
should  generally  be  assigned  to  the  whole  school,  and 
always  to  the  members  of  the  same  class.  Then,  the 
teachers  should  converse  with  each  scholar,  to  see,  as  far 
as  possible,  that  he  understands  the  lesson,  and  compre- 
hends the  manner  in  which  it  ought  to  affect  him." 

The  influence  of  the  new  movement  was  soon  discover- 
able in  different  parts  of  the  State.  At  the  fall  election 
in  New  Gloucester,  in  1827,  the  successful  candidate  for 
representative  to  the  Legislature,  when  called  upon  at  the 
close  of  the  day  by  his  enthusiastic  supporters,  addressed 
them  with  reference  to  the  evils  of  intemperance  in  con- 
nection with  the  custom  of  "treating"  at  elections,  and  in 
closing  informed  his  constituents  that  instead  of  follow- 
ing the  old  custom  on  such  an  occasion  he  would  make 
a  donation  of  ten  dollars  to  the  Sunday-school  recently 
organized  in  the  town. 

At  the  Eastern  Maine  Association,  which  met  at  Sulli- 
van Sept.  12  and  13,  1827,  this  resolution  was  adopted : 
"That  we  view,  with  gratitude  to  God,  the  increasing 
attention  to  Sabbath-schools  in  this  association,  and  ear- 
nestly recommend  perseverance  and  greater  effort,  and 
that  our  Sabbath-schools  become  connected  with  the  Maine 
Sabbath  School  Union." 

The  annual  meeting  of  the  Maine  Sabbath  School  Union 
was  held  Jan.  10,  1828,  in  the  meeting-house  of  the  First 
Baptist  church  in  Portland.  Gen.  Alford  Richardson, 
superintendent  of  the  First  church  Sunday-school,  pre- 
sided. One  of  the  speakers  at  the  meeting  was  Rev. 
Elon  Galusha,  of  Whitesborough,  N.  Y.,  one  of  the  best 
known  Baptist  ministers  in  the  Empire  State,  a  forceful 
and  eloquent  preacher,  whom  the  members  of  the  First 
church  shortly  afterward  desired  to  make  the  successor  of 
Rev.  Thomas  B.  Ripley. 


272  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

At  the  Bowdoinham  Association  at  Bloomfield,  in  1828, 
the  following  resolutions  were  adopted :  '  'Resolved,  That 
it  be  recommended  to  the  churches  of  this  association  to 
establish  Sabbath-schools,  with  libraries  connected  for  the 
edification  of  the  children.  Resolved,  That  it  be  recom- 
mended to  establish  Bible  classes,  and  that  they  may  be 
encouraged  to  become  auxiliary  to  the  American  Bible 
Class  Society,  by  contributing  annually  what  may  be  con- 
venient ;  and  that  the  ministers  report  annually  the  state 
of  their  Bible  classes  to  the  secretary  of  that  Society." 
Evidently  there  was  already  a  broadening  of  the  scope  of 
Sunday-school  instruction. 

In  the  Corresponding  Letter,  written  by  Rev.  D.  Chess- 
man, there  was  a  reference  to  Sabbath-schools  as  "one  of 
the  most  interesting  objects  of  benevolence  at  the  pres- 
ent day."  "Wherever  instituted,"  it  was  said,  "they 
have  been  attended  with  a  blessing.  And  if  any  of  our 
churches  have  doubts  on  this  subject  let  the  experiment 
be  fairly  made,  and  the  result  will  be  satisfactory."  The 
friends  of  Sunday-schools  evidently  had  faith  in  the  new 
order  of  things.  The  action  with  reference  to  Bible 
classes,  taken  by  the  association  at  this  time,  receives  an 
explanation  in  the  same  Corresponding  Letter.  "Bible 
classes  are  of  more  recent  origin  [than  Sunday-schools], 
but  they  bid  fair  to  be  equally  useful ;  indeed  they  may 
be  considered  as  a  branch  of  the  Sunday-school,  and  are 
designed  to  take  the  youth,  when  they  leave  the  Sunday- 
school,  and  continue  that  religious  instruction  in  a  man- 
ner suited  to  their  advancing  age.  They  are  also  useful 
in  providing  teachers  for  the  Sabbath-school,  and  qualify- 
ing them  for  that  responsible  station.  God  has  in  a  very 
wonderful  manner  blessed  them  for  the  conversion  of 
many ;  and  in  some  instances  every  individual  connected 
with  Bible  classes  has  been  hopefully  brought  to  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  truth."  The  development  of  the  Sunday- 
school  idea  is  strikingly  illustrated  in  this  letter. 

The  Bowdoinham  Association,  at  its  meeting  in  Greene, 
Sept.  23  and  24,  1829,  recommended  "that  a  school  be 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  273 

established  in  every  church  belonging  to  this  body,"  and 
the  churches  were  requested  to  give  an  account  of  the 
work  of  their  schools  annually  in  their  letters.  A  commit- 
tee was  chosen  by  the  association  with  reference  to  Sun- 
day-school work,  also  a  committee  by  the  Congregational 
conference.  Upon  the  recommendation  of  these  two  com- 
mittees a  meeting  of  the  friends  of  Sabbath-schools  was 
held  in  Greene  at  the  close  of  the  association,  at  which  it 
was  resolved  unanimously  '  'that  it  is  expedient  to  form  a 
Sabbath  School  Union  for  the  County  of  Kennebec."  A 
constitution  was  adopted  and  the  following  officers  were 
elected :  Rev.  Dr.  J.  Chaplin,  president ;  Rev.  D.  Chess- 
man, Rev.  David  Thurston,  Rev.  John  Butler  and  Rev. 
George  Shepard,  vice  presidents ;  Rev.  B.  Tappan,  corre- 
sponding secretary ;  T.  D.  Scudder,  Esq. ,  treasurer :  these 
with  John  Hovey,  Esq.,  and  Hon.  Mr.  Rice,  constituted  the 
board  of  directors. 

But  at  least  one  of  the  churches  in  the  Bowdoinham 
Association  (and  there  were  unquestionably  others  in 
Maine)  continued  to  have  doubts  with  reference  to  the 
usefulness  of  such  an  organization  as  the  Sunday-school. 
The  First  church  in  Lisbon,  at  the  meeting  of  the  Bow- 
doinham Association,  in  1830,  brought  this  question  before 
the  association:  "Is  it  proper  to  give  our  support  to  for- 
eign missions  and  Sunday-schools,  and  neglect  the  means 
of  the  gospel  at  home  by  draining  the  country  of  money 
and  starving  our  ministry?"^  The  committee  appointed 
by  the  association  to  frame  a  reply  to  this  inquiry  under- 
stood well  its  source,  and  made  the  following  answer :  "By 
no  means ;  and  if  our  brethren  who  proposed  the  ques- 
tion feel  that  their  efforts  to  support  foreign  missions  and 
Sunday-schools  have  deprived  them  of  the  'means  of  the 
gospel  at  home, '  they  are  desired  to  reform  and  obtain  and 
support  the  ministry  among  themselves."  The  committee 
added  the  further  suggestion,  that  as  far  as  their  obser- 

*The  First  church  in  Lisbon  at  that  time  was  pastorless,  but  reported  sixty  members. 
In  1835,  a  membership  of  twenty-eight  was  reported.  In  1836,  the  First  church  in  Lisbon 
was  "dropped  from  the  Minutes"  ;  its  light  had  gone  out. 

19 


274  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

vation  extended  "the  gospel  ministry  is  best  supported  in 
those  places  where  the  greatest  efforts  are  made  to  send 
the  word  of  life  to  the  destitute."  The  scene  at  the  read- 
ing of  this  report  can  easily  be  imagined.^ 

In  1831,  Rev.  Asa  Bullard,  a  Congregationalist  Sunday- 
school  worker,  became  general  agent  and  corresponding 
secretary  of  the  Maine  Sabbath  School  Union.  At  that 
time,  he  says,  there  were  connected  with  the  Maine  Sab- 
bath School  Union  not  over  five  hundred  schools,  con- 
taining perhaps  a  total  of  twenty  thousand  teachers  and 
scholars.  Strong,  enthusiastic  endeavor  characterized  Mr. 
Bullard's  three  years  of  service  in  connection  with  the 
Sunday-school  interests  of  Maine.  At  the  sixth  annual 
meeting  of  the  Union,  in  January,  1832,  the  following 
resolution  was  presented,  and  after  earnest  advocacy  it 
was  unanimously  adopted  :  '  'Resolved,  That  relying  upon 
divine  assistance,  we  will  establish  a  Sabbath-school  in 
every  town  and  school  district  in  the  State,  where  it  is 
practicable  and  advisable,  within  a  year  and  a  half  from 
this  time." 

This  action  of  the  Union  deeply  stirred  the  hearts  of 
Sunday-school  workers  in  all  parts  of  Maine.  Mr.  Bul- 
lard traveled  extensively  in  the  State,  held  meetings  in 
which  committees  were  appointed  to  take  charge  of  the 
work,  and  a  vast  amount  of  labor  on  the  part  of  voluntary 
and  unpaid   workers   was  secured.     Young  ladies  were 

*  Rev.  H.  C.  Estes,  D.  D.,  In  his  discourse  at  the  centennial  of  the  First  Baptist  church 
in  Paris,  said  the  earliest  mention  of  a  Sunday-school  connected  with  that  church  was  in 
1837,  though  there  was  Sunday-school  instruction  in  Paris  twenty  years  before  by  Miss 
Nancy  Pierce,  who,  in  1818,  taught  the  village  school.  "But  her  Sunday-school  had  no 
connection  whatever  with  the  church.  Elder  Hooper  was  decidedly  opposed  to  Sunday- 
schools,  and  therefore  there  was  no  place  for  one  in  this  church  during  his  administra- 
tion. He  regarded  it  as  wrong  for  parents  to  delegate  the  religious  instruction  of  their 
children  to  others,  because  God  had  laid  the  duty  upon  them.  But  some  members  of  the 
church  must  have  had  an  interest,  and  a  deep  interest,  in  the  Sunday-school  as  an  insti- 
tution which  gave  great  promise  of  doing  good."  Dr.  Estes  mentions  a  bequest  of  one 
of  the  deacons  of  the  church.  Dr.  Benjamin  Chandler,  who  by  his  will  dated  March  21, 
1827,  bequeathed  a  piece  of  land  to  "the  Calvinistic  Baptist  church"  in  Paris,  a  part  of  the 
income  to  be  "expended  in  the  instruction  and  encouragement  of  a  Sunday-school  on 
Paris  Hill,  to  teach  the  children  and  youth  in  morality  and  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ. 
.  .  .  The  use  and  income  of  this  land,  with  its  fine  fruit-bearing  trees,  situated  hardly 
half  a  mile  from  the  common,  has  been  of  great  value  to  the  Sunday-school  in  all  the 
years  of  its  history." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  275 

obtained  to  teach  district  schools,  with  special  reference 
to  the  establishment  of  Sabbath-schools  in  the  towns 
and  neighborhoods  where  they  taught.  Merchants  were 
engaged  to  converse  with  their  customers  from  adjacent 
towns  or  districts,  and  persuade  them,  if  possible,  to  see 
that  the  work  was  accomplished  in  their  respective  com- 
munities. Juvenile  sewing  circles  were  formed  to  help 
furnish  funds  for  carrying  on  the  enterprise."^ 

In  1834,  to  such  an  extent  had  the  work  been  advanced, 
that  it  was  decided  to  dissolve  the  Union  in  order  that 
each  denomination  might  have  a  Union  of  its  own.  At 
the  meeting  of  the  Cumberland  Association,  held  in  Bath 
Aug.  27  and  28,  1834,  it  was  recommended  in  view  of  this 
decision  that  the  churches  in  the  association  unite  with  the 
other  Baptist  churches  in  the  State  in  organizing  a  Maine 
Baptist  Sabbath  School  Union,  and  the  delegates  to  the 
Convention  from  the  association  were  instructed  to  advo- 
cate and  promote  this  action. 

Like  action  was  taken  in  other  associations.  The  dele- 
gates met  in  Topsham  on  Tuesday,  Oct.  7,  1834,  the  day 
preceding  the  meeting  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Convention, 
and  after  an  interchange  of  views  organized  the  Maine 
Baptist  Sabbath  School  Union.  It  was  decided  not  to 
commence  work  at  once,  however,  as  the  Maine  Sabbath 
School  Union  had  not  yet  closed  its  operations.  The 
organization  accordingly  was  not  completed  until  the 
spring  of  1835,  when  the  board  met  and  voted  to  employ 
an  agent  as  soon  as  a  suitable  person  could  be  secured. 

The  Bowdoinham  Association,  at  its  meeting  in  Wayne, 
Sept.  23  and  24,  1835,  recommended  the  observance  of  the 
monthly  concert  of  prayer  for  Sunday-schools.  Every 
pastor  was  urged  '  'to  manifest  a  deep  interest  in  the  Sab- 
bath-schools connected  with  his  own  congregation,"  and 
to  endeavor  to  encourage  and  benefit  both  "teachers  and 
pupils  by  his  frequent  presence,  his  assistance  and  his 
unceasing  prayers." 

*  Bullard's  Fifty  Years  with  the  Sabbath  School,  p.  21. 


276  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Union,  held  in  Portland 
Oct.  6,  1835,  officers  were  elected  as  follows  :  Alford  Rich- 
ardson, president ;  Henry  B.  Hart,  secretary,  and  Byron 
Greenough,  treasurer.  They  were  all  residents  of  Port- 
land, and  all  were  held  in  deserved  honor.  Henry  B. 
Hart  and  Byron  Greenough  are  names  which  the  Baptists 
of  Maine  have  occasion  still  to  remember.  Mr.  Purket, 
secretary  of  the  Massachusetts  Baptist  Sabbath  School 
Union,  was  present  at  this  meeting,  and  laid  before  the 
society  a  plan  for  a  Sabbath-school  convention,  to  be  com- 
posed of  delegates  from  the  several  Sabbath  School  Unions 
in  New  England,  and  Rev.  Adam  Wilson,  Rev.  J.  S. 
Maginnis  and  Dea.  Alford  Richardson  were  appointed 
delegates  to  the  proposed  convention. 

During  the  year  that  followed  auxiliary  unions  were 
formed  in  nine  associations,  and  depositories,  where  the 
books  published  by  the  Massachusetts  Sabbath  School 
Union,  the  American  Sabbath  School  Union  and  the  New 
England  Sabbath  School  Union  could  be  obtained,  were 
established  in  Portland  and  Augusta.  Eight  of  these 
Unions  were  reported  in  the  Convention  Minutes  for  1836, 
in  connection  with  the  first  annual  report  of  the  Maine 
Baptist  Sabbath  School  Union,  namely,  the  Unions  in 
York,  Cumberland,  Oxford,  Bowdoinham,  Waldo,  Penob- 
scot, Hancock  and  Kennebec  Associations.  The  whole 
number  of  schools  reported  was  225,  with  1,471  teachers 
and  10,408  scholars,  192  conversions  and  16,305  volumes  in 
libraries. 

Lincoln  Association,  in  1837,  recommended  the  observ- 
ance of  the  monthly  concert  of  prayer  for  Sabbath-schools 
on  the  second  Monday  evening  of  every  month. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Sunday 
School  Union  in  1837,  it  was  voted  to  make  the  Union 
auxiliary  to  the  New  England  Sabbath  School  Union. 

Rev.  Joseph  Ricker  was  made  secretary  of  the  Union  in 
1841.  He  soon  entered  upon  an  effort  to  secure  better 
statistics  concerning  the  Sunday-schools  connected  with 
Maine  Baptist  churches.    In  a  report  for  the  year  ending 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  277 

September,  1842,  presented  in  June,  1843,  Mr.  Ricker 
expressed  regret  that  the  materials  for  his  report  were 
so  meagre,  but  they  were  much  more  abundant  than  in 
any  preceding  year.  From  eight  associations  he  obtained 
these  statistics :  137  schools,  932  teachers,  6,806  scholars, 
289  conversions,  and  16,460  volumes  in  libraries.  Bow- 
doinham,  Kennebec,  Waldo  and  Piscataquis  Associations 
furnished  no  returns.  The  report  closed  with  a  vigorous 
appeal  for  complete  Sunday-school  statistics. 

Mr.  Ricker's  next  report,  presented  at  the  annual  meet- 
ing, June  17,  1844,  and  which  was  for  the  year  ending  on 
that  date,  contained  statistics  from  thirteen  associations, 
indicating,  as  the  report  said,  "a  growing  attention  on 
the  part  of  the  churches  to  the  importance  of  sending 
up  annual  reports  of  what  they  are  doing  for  the  reli- 
gious training  of  the  young."  The  associations  report- 
ing were  York,  Saco  River,  Cumberland,  Oxford,  Lincoln, 
Penobscot,  Washington,  Hancock,  Kennebec,  Damariscotta, 
Waldo  and  Bowdoinham,  and  the  summary  was  as  follows  : 
214  schools,  1,399  teachers,  9,338  scholars,  419  conversions, 
and  19,770  volumes  in  the  libraries.  Of  the  churches  in 
these  twelve  associations  one  hundred  and  nine  failed  to 
report  Sunday-school  statistics.  There  was  no  report  from 
the  twenty  churches  in  Piscataquis  Association.  "Many 
of  these  churches  are  large,"  said  the  secretary  "and  are 
known  to  have  interesting  Sabbath-schools.  Upon  this 
fact  we  have  no  comment  to  offer.  We  simply  submit  it 
to  this  Union,  and  respectfully  ask  whether  some  measure 
cannot  be  devised  which  shall  help  to  remedy  an  evil  so 
unnecessary?  If  it  is  worth  while  to  have  any  statis- 
tics whatever,  it  is  worth  while  to  have  them  from  every 
school  in  the  State." 

This  appeal  seems  to  have  had  the  desired  effect.  In 
the  report  made  by  secretary  Ricker  at  the  next  annual 
meeting  of  the  Union,  June  16,  1845,  there  were  reported  i 
266  schools  and  Bible  classes,  1,764  teachers,  11,663  schol- 
ars and  24,955  volumes  in  libraries,  an  increase  of  52 

'  The  report  was  for  the  associational  year  ending  September,  1844. 


278  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

schools,  365  teachers,  2,325  scholars  and  5,185  volumes. 
The  Piscataquis  Association  made  a  report,  and  the  statis- 
tics were  the  most  complete  that  had  as  yet  been  received 
from  the  Baptist  churches  in  Maine.  Only  three  conver- 
sions were  reported,  and  secretary  Ricker  referred  to  this 
"one  painful  fact."  "Last  year,  it  was  our  delightful 
privilege  to  record  the  hopeful  conversion  of  four  hundred 
and  nineteen  children  and  youth  connected  with  the  Maine 
Baptist  Sabbath  School  Union.  This  year,  the  meagre 
aggregate  is  three  only !  Now  the  question  at  once  occurs. 
Is  this  to  be  regarded  as  a  correct  index  of  our  compara- 
tive efforts  to  sustain  this  heaven-originated  institution 
during  the  two  years  last  past  ?  If  it  is,  the  Lord  have 
mercy  upon  us,  and  forgive  us  our  crying  guilt.  I  am  not 
anxious  to  abate  one  jot  the  pungency  of  the  rebuke  which 
the  disclosure  is  adapted  to  administer.  Let  it  cut— let  it 
startle— let  it  lead  to  vigilant  self-examination  and  humble 
prayer.  But  let  it  not  discourage."  How  strikingly  do 
these  sentences  remind  us  of  passages  that  will  be  found 
in  some  of  Dr.  Ricker's  later  reports,  when  he  was  secre- 
tary of  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Convention  ! 

But  it  is  probable  that  this  "meagre  aggregate"  was 
misleading.  In  the  next  annual  report  the  statistical  col- 
umns note  only  seven  conversions  and  these  in  the  Cum- 
berland Association.  But  there  is  a  foot-note  with  this 
added  information,  that  the  other  associations  made  no 
provision  in  their  tables  for  reporting  conversions.  *  It  is 
necessary  to  remark  this,"  says  Mr.  Ricker,  "or  a  false 
impression  will  be  left  upon  the  mind."  The  statistics 
for  the  year  were  as  follows :  263  Sunday-schools,  1,847 
teachers,  11,689  scholars  and  26,886  volumes  in  libraries. 
The  number  of  churches  not  reporting  Sunday-school  sta- 
tistics was  115.  This  was  Dr.  Ricker' s  last  year  of  service 
as  secretary,  and  his  report  opened  with  these  words  :  '  In 
most  Christian  communities  open  opposition  to  Sabbath- 
schools  has  happily  died  away.  By  their  own  noiseless 
but  blessed  agency  they  have  won  their  way  to  the  heart 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  279 

of  the  church,  and  are  now  thought  of  as  a  'permanent 
idea,'  rather  than  as  mere  temporary  expedients.  So 
general  is  the  conviction  upon  this  point  that  they  every- 
where meet  with  ready  eulogists,  if  not  with  warm  sup- 
porters. One  indication  of  the  disposition  to  regard  them 
as  a  part  of  the  settled  economy  of  visible  Christianity 
may  be  seen  in  the  tendency  to  systematic  and  combined 
effort  in  nearly  every  organized  branch  of  the  church. 
Hardly  any  religious  society  deems  its  circle  of  means 
complete  without  a  Sabbath-school  in  which  to  train  their 
young;  and  in  estimating  their  progress  from  time  to 
time,  this  institution  comes  in  for  a  liberal  and  deserved 
share  of  notice. ' ' 

Rev.  George  Knox  was  made  Dr.  Ricker's  successor. 
But  though  the  Sunday-school  had  now  won  for  itself  a 
place  among  the  organized  agencies  in  our  churches  for 
the  promotion  of  Bible  study  and  as  one  of  the  means 
of  bringing  those  within  its  influence  to  a  knowledge  of 
the  truths  of  Christianity,  a  diminution  of  interest  in  the 
work  was  soon  discoverable.  In  his  first  report,  presented 
at  Dover,  June  16,  1847,  Mr.  Knox  said:  "The  novelty  of 
the  Sabbath-school  has  passed  away,"  and  he  expressed 
a  fear  that  there  was  a  want  of  interest  in  the  work 
"because  there  is  a  want  of  novelty."  His  fear  evidently 
was  well-founded.  The  statistical  reports  with  reference 
to  our  Maine  Baptist  Sunday-schools  became  more  and 
more  unsatisfactory  in  the  years  that  followed.  In  1850, 
nearly  one-half  of  the  Baptist  churches  in  the  State  made 
no  report  on  Sunday-schools. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Sabbath  School 
Union  in  Bloomfield,  June  17,  1851,  Rev.  Dr.  Babcock,  sec- 
retary of  the  American  Sabbath  School  Union,  and  Rev.  S. 
Souther,  Jr. ,  agent  of  the  same  society,  were  present  and 
addressed  the  Union.  They  made  known  the  purpose  of 
the  national  society  to  undertake  work  in  Maine  as  well  as 
in  other  parts  of  the  United  States,  and  a  resolution  was 
adopted  in  which  this  purpose  of  the  national  society  was 


280  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

designated  as  "hopeful,"  and  the  agent  of  the  Union,  Mr. 
Souther,  was  commended  to  the  churches  as  worthy  of 
their  confidence. 

The  State  organization  continued  its  existence,  but  its 
attitude  was  that  of  co-operation  with  the  American  Sab- 
bath School  Union.  At  the  meeting  of  the  Maine  Baptist 
Sabbath  School  Union  in  Bangor,  June  21,  1854,  it  was 
voted,  on  motion  of  Rev.  S.  L.  Caldwell,  after  remarks 
by  several  brethren,  that  it  was  inexpedient  to  continue 
the  organization,  provided  the  Convention  would  take  in 
charge  the  interests  of  the  Baptist  Sunday-schools  in  the 
State ;  and  the  secretary  of  the  Union  was  requested  to 
present  the  matter  to  the  Convention  at  its  meeting  on  the 
following  day.  This  was  done  and  the  Convention  voted 
"to  take  this  subject  in  charge  for  the  future."  The  sec- 
retary of  the  Convention  was  directed  to  collect  Sunday- 
school  statistics  and  print  the  same  in  the  Minutes.  A 
committee  of  one  from  each  association  also  was  appointed 
"to  gather  Sabbath-school  statistics  and  to  promote,  as 
far  as  they  may,  the  general  interests  of  Sabbath-schools 
within  their  associations  for  the  year  ensuing,  and  to 
report  to  the  Convention  through  their  chairman  or  secre- 
tary." 

The  Maine  Baptist  Sabbath  School  Union  accordingly 
was  dissolved,  and  at  the  meeting  of  the  Convention  at 
which  the  above  action  was  taken,  "the  missionary  ser- 
vices" of  the  New  England  Sabbath  School  Union  and  of 
the  American  Sabbath  School  Union  were  made  welcome 
in  Maine,  and  a  resolution  was  adopted  recommending 
that  the  churches  co-operate  with  these  organizations  '  'in 
their  care  for  the  uninstructed  in  our  land." 

Meanwhile  the  Sunday-school  work  of  the  denomination 
was  receiving  the  attention  of  an  organization,  which,  as 
the  Baptist  General  Tract  Society,  was  formed  in  Wash- 
ington, Feb.  25,  1824.  In  1840,  this  Society  became  the 
American  Baptist  Publication  and  Sunday  School  Soci- 
ety, but  in  1844  changed  its  designation  to  the  American 
Baptist  Publication  Society,  by  which  it  has  since  been 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  281 

known.  In  1855,  the  Sunday-school  work  of  the  Society 
was  enlarged.  The  entire  stock  of  Sunday-school  plates, 
engravings,  copyrights,  etc.,  belonging  to  the  New  Eng- 
land Sabbath  School  Union  was  purchased.  Later  a  Sun- 
day-school secretary  was  appointed. 

A  still  further  important  step  forward  was  taken  in  con- 
nection with  the  adoption  of  the  uniform  lesson  system. 
A  movement  in  favor  of  a  uniform  lesson  was  commenced 
as  early  as  1865,  but  for  some  time  it  met  with  strong 
opposition.  One  of  the  earliest  advocates  of  the  proposed 
system  was  the  late  B.  F.  Jacobs,  a  member  and  promi- 
nent Sunday-school  worker  of  the  First  Baptist  church  in 
Chicago.  It  was  his  earnestness  and  enthusiasm  that 
secured  the  adoption  of  the  International  Lesson  system 
at  the  great  Sunday  School  Convention  at  Indianapolis  in 
April,  1872.  The  American  Baptist  Publication  Society 
from  the  first  entered  heartily  into  the  new  movement. 
Zion's  Advocate,  with  the  opening  of  1873,  provided  for 
its  readers  each  week  notes  on  the  International  Lesson. 
The  first  reference  to  these  lessons  in  the  Minutes  is  to  be 
found  in  the  record  of  the  meeting  of  the  Cumberland 
Association  at  Brunswick,  Aug.  26  and  27,  1873,  in  which 
is  found  the  following :  '  'The  experience  of  a  year's  use  of 
the  International  Series  of  Lessons  in  our  Sunday-schools 
leads  us  to  the  conviction  that  their  continuance  will  be 
one  of  the  best  methods  for  deepening  a  lively  interest  in 
Bible  study.  We  would  also  indorse  the  candid  exposi- 
tions of  these  lessons  that  appear  from  week  to  week  in 
Zion's  Advocate,  and  commend  them  to  all  our  Sunday- 
school  workers." 

Since  the  Union  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Soci- 
ety and  the  Maine  Baptist  Convention  no  year  has  passed 
in  which,  at  the  annual  meeting,  Sunday-school  interests 
have  not  received  some  attention.  Under  the  auspices  of 
the  Convention  Sunday-school  institutes  have  been  held  in 
different  parts  of  the  State.  Some  of  the  associations 
at  times  have  had  a  Sunday-school  secretary.  In  recent 
years  much  help  and  inspiration  have  come  to  us  from  the 


282 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 


New  England  District  Secretary  of  the  American  Baptist 
Publication  Society,  Rev.  C.  H.  Spalding,  D.  D.,  who  has 
visited  our  associations  and  Conventions  in  the  interest  of 
our  Sunday-schools. 

The  following  exhibit  of  the  membership  of  our  Maine 
Baptist  Sunday-schools  from  1875— the  year  in  which  the 
reports  of  our  Sunday-school  work  commence  to  appear— 
sets  forth  the  growth  of  the  Sunday-school  membership  in 
our  churches. 


1875, 

15,521 

1890, 

18,843 

1876, 

16,394 

1891, 

18,380 

1877, 

17,702 

1892, 

18,072 

1878, 

17,131 

1893, 

16,789 

1879, 

16,040 

1894, 

17,713 

1880, 

16,608 

1895, 

17,909 

1881, 

16,463 

1896, 

19,203 

1882, 

16,528 

1897, 

18,922 

1883, 

16,121 

1898, 

18,504 

1884, 

16,786 

1899, 

18,077 

1885, 

15,706 

1900, 

17,402 

1886 

16,461 

1901, 

18,072 

1887, 

16,493 

1902, 

17,174 

1888, 

15,749 

1903, 

19,355 

1889, 

17,340 

CHAPTER  XIX. 


Temperance  Reform. 

The  prevalence  of  intemperance  at  the  opening  of  the 
nineteenth  century  awakened  the  deepest  concern  on  the 
part  of  many  good  men  in  all  parts  of  New  England.  In 
Maine,  as  elsewhere,  the  custom  of  rum-drinking  was  con- 
stantly in  evidence.  Dr.  Ricker  has  not  stated  the  facts 
any  too  strongly  in  his  reminiscences  :  "It  was  quite  the 
exception,  when  the  entrance  or  exit,  the  birth  or  burial, 
of  any  poor  mortal  transpired  without  the  friendly  offices 
of  the  rum  bottle.  Its  aid  was  invoked  alike  to  assuage 
grief  and  augment  joy.  At  the  raising  of  buildings,  the 
harvesting  of  hay,  the  husking  of  corn,  the  music  'of  wed- 
ding bells,  the  sad  notes  of  the  funeral  dirge,  the  dedica- 
tion of  churches,  the  ordination  of  ministers,  the  voting 
precincts  of  citizens,  the  mustering  of  the  soldiers  for  drill 
and  duty,  the  annual  recurrence  of  the  nation's  birth- 
day, in  a  word  at  all  merry-makings,  and,  indeed,  on  all 
social  occasions,  whether  merry  or  mournful,  its  presence 
was  anticipated  as  a  matter  of  course,  and  its  absence 
regretted  if  inevitable,  and  resented  if  intentional.  Did 
the  pastor  call?  The  decanter,  sideboard  or  no  sideboard, 
was  set  forth  to  give  cheer  to  the  occasion.  Was  a  man 
elected  to  office?  The  treating  of  the  crowd  was  a  forfeit 
he  must  pay,  or  be  called  mean.  Was  one  melting  with 
heat?  Rum  or  its  equivalent  was  the  sovereign  remedy. 
Was  he  freezing  with  cold?  The  same  antidote  was  pre- 
scribed with  a  sublime  disregard  to  consistency."^ 

The  New  Hampshire  Association,  with  which  our  Bap- 
tist churches  in  York  county  were  connected  at  an  early 
period,  held  its  annual  meeting  in  Northwood  in  1793.     In 

'  Personal  Recollections,  pp.  61,  52. 


284  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

the  Minutes  occurs  this  record  :  *  'Whereas  it  has  been  of 
late  the  practice  of  some  persons  to  set  up  grogshops  near 
the  meeting-house  where  the  association  is  held,  Voted, 
that  we  disapprove  of  such  practice  and  that  application 
shall  be  made  to  the  selectmen  of  the  town  where  the 
association  shall  meet  in  future  to  use  their  influence  to 
prevent  such  conduct."  These  annual  gatherings  called 
together  crowds  of  people,^  many  of  whom  had  no  interest 
in  the  meetings,  and  the  rumseller  found  opportunity  for 
his  nefarious  traffic.  The  state  of  things  was  no  better  in 
the  District  of  Maine.  At  the  meeting  of  the  New  Hamp- 
shire Association  in  Sanford,  in  1803,  attention  was  again 
called  to  the  evils  connected  with  liquor  selling  in  con- 
nection with  the  meetings,  and  the  question  was  asked : 
*  'Whether  something  may  not  be  done  to  prevent  the  riot 
and  tumult  that  has  heretofore  been  at  our  associations?" 

The  sale  of  liquor  in  that  early  time  was  generally  con- 
sidered as  respectable  as  the  sale  of  any  other  commodity. 
In  fact,  liquor  was  one  of  the  principal  commodities,  and 
it  was  everywhere  in  evidence  in  stores,  vessels,  wagons. 
It  was  wanted  everywhere,  and  men  were  busily  employed 
in  procuring  it  and  in  furnishing  it  to  their  customers. 

But  there  were  those  who  saw  the  evil  results  of  intem- 
perance—that it  was  a  curse  in  many  a  home,  under- 
mining the  morality  of  its  members  and  bringing  misery 
and  degradation  in  its  train.  Here  and  there  a  warning 
voice  was  uplifted  against  excessive  drinking.  Rev.  John 
Tripp,  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Paris,  prepared  the 
Circular  Letter  for  the  Bowdoinham  Association  in  1806. 
In  it  he  called  attention  to  the  proper  training  of  children. 
He  said  it  was  necessary  to  instruct  them  not  only  in 
things  of  a  religious  nature,  but  also  in  those  which  con- 
cern their  general  conduct  in  life.  Several  things  he  men- 
tioned as  requiring  attention  "in  this  degenerate  age"; 
and  first  he  would  guard  the  minds  of  the  young  "against 
excessive  drinking,  a  habit  which  prevails  to  the  utter  ruin 
of  many,  and  the  injury  of  millions."    This  is  the  earliest 

*  At  the  association  at  Parsonsfield.  in  1801,  two  thousand  persons  were  present. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  285 

word  in  behalf  of  temperance  reform  which  is  to  be  found 
in  our  Baptist  annals  in  Maine.  But  having  uttered  this 
note  of  warning,  Elder  Tripp  remembered  the  drinking 
habits  of  his  hearers,  and  he  added  :  "But,  brethren,  let  it 
ever  be  remembered  that  our  instructions  will  go  but  little 
way  in  the  education  of  our  children,  without  we  enforce 
the  same  by  example ;  therefore  it  is  necessary  that  we 
do  before  them  the  things  which  we  inculcate  by  words. 
.  .  .  Shall  we  then  teach  them  to  be  sober  and  temper- 
ate and  not  be  so  ourselves?" 

Total  abstinence  at  that  time  was  not  advocated.  It 
was  against  "excessive  drinking"  only  that  the  words  of 
the  reformer  were  aimed.  But  the  ravages  of  rum-drink- 
ing continued.  The  example  of  the  moderate  drinker  was 
without  force  with  those  who  had  become  the  slaves  of  a 
burning  appetite.  More  and  more  it  was  evident  that 
there  must  be  a  separation  between  the  church  and  the 
world  in  this  matter,  and  the  exhortation  was  directed 
to  church  members  to  keep  away  from  the  saloon  and 
all  places  where  intoxicating  liquors  were  sold.  At  the 
meeting  of  the  Lincoln  Association,  held  in  Vassalborough 
Sept.  20  and  21,  1820,  the  Circular  Letter  prepared  by 
Oakes  Perry,  a  member  of  the  Second  Camden  church, 
was  approved  by  the  association.  In  it  Mr.  Perry  made 
this  statement :  '  'Much  is  said  and  done  to  stop  the  prog- 
ress of  intemperance.  Well,  you  resort  to  the  retailing 
shops  and  associate  with  the  ungodly  in  their  vain  con- 
versation and  drinking,  and  by  your  example  strengthen 
the  bonds  of  the  wicked  ?  A  train  of  evils  follows  the 
drunkard  not  necessary  to  enumerate.  It  opens  the  door 
to  every  vice.  Will  you,  then,  who  profess  to  be  the  fol- 
lowers of  Him  'who  went  about  doing  good,'  by  your 
example  say  to  the  intemperate  who  is  destroying  his 
property,  his  credit,  his  health,  the  peace  of  his  family 
and  his  precious  soul,  that  drinking  in  those  shops  is  a 
commendable  practice  ?  'Be  not  ye  therefore  partakers 
with  them.  For  ye  were  sometimes  darkness,  but  now 
are  ye  light  in  the  Lord.     Walk  as  children  of  light. '    To 


286  HISTORY    OF    THE    BAPTISTS    IN    MAINE. 

those  who  are  engaged  in  trade  for  a  support,  we  recom- 
mend to  desist  from  disseminating  this  baneful  liquid 
through  the  land,  especially  the  shameful  and  wicked 
practice  of  dealing  it  out  in  small  quantities  to  be  drunken 
in  your  shops,  thereby  destroying  many  souls,  the  peace  of 
families,  disregarding  the  good  laws  of  the  land,  and  the 
authority  of  Jehovah,  who  commands  obedience  to  rulers." 
This  is  an  early  exhortation  with  reference  to  temperance 
reform.  It  testifies  to  the  fact  that  inside  of  the  church, 
as  late  as  1820,  there  was  need  of  such  an  exhortation  to 
Christians,  and  the  exhortation  was  not  withheld.  Neal 
Dow,  who  was  as  familiar  with  the  facts  as  any  one,  says  : 
"The  temperance  reformation  in  Maine  was  born  in  the 
church.  In  its  infancy  it  was  almost  wholly  dependent 
upon  religious  leaders  and  teachers.  In  the  days  of  its 
youth  and  young  maturity  it  was  stimulated,  encouraged 
and  sustained  by  the  same  powerful  agency.  It  never 
could  have  attained  the  height  it  afterwards  reached  but 
for  that  early  and  continued  assistance  of  godly  men  and 
women."  ^ 

Objections  to  the  "shops,"  or  saloons  as  we  would  now 
say,  were  continued  and  intensified.  At  the  Cumberland 
Association,  held  in  Hebron  Sept.  30,  1824,  a  motion  was 
made  by  Dea.  Low  of  Bath,  that  the  association  from  a 
consideration  of  the  enormous  evils  "which  result  from 
the  intemperate  use  of  ardent  spirits"  should  recommend 
to  all  the  churches  in  the  association  that  they  be  on  their 
guard  against  an  enemy  which  is  committing  such  dread- 
ful ravages  in  the  community.  "The  mover  had  in  view 
not  only  the  danger  of  an  excessive  use  of  strong  liq- 
uors in  families,  in  social  visits,  or  on  public  occasions,  but 
wished  that  the  practice  of  retailing  spirits  to  be  drunk  in 
shops  might  be  discountenanced."^ 

The  association  at  this  session  not  only  voted  that  in 
view  of  the   alarming  prevalence  of  intemperance   the 

*  Reminiscences  of  Neal  Dow,  p.  198. 

^  Minutes  of  Cumberland  Association  for  1824,  p.  7.    A  like  resolution  was  adopted  by 
the  Eastern  Maine  Association  at  Eastport  in  1825. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  287 

churches  should  take  the  subject  into  serious  considera- 
tion, and  adopt  such  measures  as  they  may  deem  proper, 
but  it  also  voted  that  "the  use  of  spirituous  liquors  at  their 
annual  meetings  be  discontinued."  It  was  added  in  the 
Minutes,  "a  word  to  the  wise  is  sufficient." 

There  is  an  item  in  the  Minutes  of  Bowdoinham  Associa- 
tion for  1824  which  is  significant.  It  is  in  the  form  of  a 
note  with  which  the  report  of  the  association  closes  :  "We 
have  learned,  with  much  pleasure,  that  the  inhabitants  of 
Jay  voted  in  town  meeting  that  no  spirituous  liquors 
should  be  sold  around  the  meeting-house  during  the  ses- 
sion of  the  association,  and  that  persons  were  appointed  to 
carry  this  vote  into  effect.  To  this  prudent  and  very 
commendable  measure  was  owing  no  doubt  in  a  consider- 
able degree  the  uncommonly  good  order  observed  during 
the  whole  meeting.  May  other  towns  imitate  this  laud- 
able example  on  all  similar  occasions. ' ' 

But  there  was  still  need  of  the  warning  voice.  The 
Eastern  Maine  Association,  at  its  meeting  in  Eastport 
Sept.  15,  1825,  took  the  following  action :  '  'That  in  view 
of  the  enormous  evils  which  result  from  the  intemperate 
use  of  ardent  spirits,  our  churches  should  be  requested  to 
be  on  their  guard  against  an  enemy  which  is  committing 
such  dreadful  ravages  in  the  community." 

The  need  of  organized  effort  in  temperance  reform  was 
now  evident.  Neal  Dow  says  that  the  first  society  organ- 
ized in  Maine  which  adopted  the  pledge  of  total  abstinence 
from  "distilled"  spirits  was  in  1827,  in  the  town  of  New 
Sharon.  Rev.  Sylvanus  Boardman,  father  of  the  mission- 
ary, George  Dana  Boardman,  was  pastor  of  the  Baptist 
church  in  New  Sharon  at  that  time,  and  doubtless  took 
his  place— probably  at  the  head— in  the  little  band  which 
within  a  year  had  increased  from  ten  to  seventy  members. 
At  the  meeting  of  the  Bowdoinham  Association,  which 
was  held  in  Bloomfield,  Sept.  25,  1828,  Mr.  Boardman 
was  present,  and  the  following  resolution  adopted  by  the 
association,  "Resolved,  That  this  association  approve  of 
the  measures  in  operation  for  the  suppression  of  intern- 


288  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

perance,  and  cordially  recommend  to  our  churches  entire 
abstinence,  except  in  cases  of  medicine,  as  the  grand  secret 
of  success,"  was  doubtless  presented  by  him  in  view  of 
the  work  in  temperance  reform  accomplished  at  New 
Sharon  along  the  line  of  total  abstinence. 

The  organization  of  these  total  abstinence  societies  con- 
tinued during  the  next  two  or  three  years.  "In  almost 
every  instance,"  says  Neal  Dow,  **the  leading  men  in 
these  societies  were  clergymen.  It  is  not  too  much  to 
say  that  without  their  aid  the  great  reformation  would 
have  been  postponed  for  years,  if  indeed  it  could  ever 
have  reached  the  point  to  which  it  attained  through  their 
assistance  in  a  comparatively  short  time.  Most  of  the 
societies  formed  at  this  period  were  content  to  make  the 
test  of  membership  a  pledge  to  abjure  'ardent'  spirits. 
But  here  and  there  were  to  be  found  those  taking  the 
more  advanced  position  in  favor  of  total  abstinence.  This 
was  generally  done  under  the  leadership  of  some  man  of 
God  who  enforced  upon  the  members  of  his  church  their 
duty,  nay,  showed  them  that  it  should  be  their  pleasure  to 
adopt  even  what  they  did  not  deem  in  their  own  cases  to 
be  needful  for  their  own  safety,  or  to  abandon  that  which 
they  did  not  view  as  in  itself  a  wrong,  if  by  such  sacrifice 
they  might  do  good. "  ^ 

Bowdoinham  Association,  in  1829,  reaffirmed  its  position 
with  reference  to  total  abstinence  by  adopting  the  same 
resolution  which  was  passed  by  the  association  in  1828. 
York  Association,  at  its  session  in  Shapleigh  in  1829, 
adopted  the  following  resolution  :  "That  the  evils  arising 
from  the  use  of  ardent  spirits  far  exceed  the  amount  of 
good  derived,  and  that  we  earnestly  recommend  to  the 
churches  to  continue  and  increase  their  exertions  for  the 
promotion  of  temperance  by  endeavoring  to  persuade  pro- 
fessors of  religion  and  others  to  dispense  with  the  use  of 
intoxicating  liquors,  except  when  prescribed  by  a  physi- 
cian as  being  needful,  and  that  our  churches  make  it  a 
subject  of   conversation  when  they  receive  members." 

^  Reminiscences,  pp.  201, 202. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  289 

The  question  had  evidently  arisen  whether  persons  should 
be  received  to  church  membership  who  were  not  ready  to 
adopt  the  principle  of  total  abstinence.  Lincoln  Associa- 
tion, at  its  session  in  Nobleboro  in  1829,  took  the  following 
action  :  "Resolved,  That  this  association  views  with  deep 
anguish  and  detestation  the  evil  practice  of  drinking  intox- 
icating liquors  by  members  of  our  churches ;  therefore 
Resolved,  That  we  will  not  keep  spirituous  liquors  in  our 
houses,  nor  drink  any  ourselves  ;  and  we  also  recommend 
to  our  constituents,  and  all  Christians,  the  entire  disuse  of 
it  except  by  prescription  of  a  physician  and  for  medical 
purposes." 

In  line  with  this  action  was  that  of  the  Maine  Baptist 
Convention  in  1829— the  first  action  taken  by  the  Conven- 
tion with  reference  to  temperance  reform:  "Resolved, 
That  we  earnestly  recommend  that  all  persons,  and  espe- 
cially professors  of  religion,  totally  abstain  from  the  use 
of  inebriating  liquors." 

In  1830,  the  York  Association  met  at  Lyman,  and  the 
members  were  ready  to  take  an  advance  step  in  the  move- 
ment for  temperance  reform.  The  following  resolution 
was  adopted :  '  'That  the  success  which  has  attended  the 
exertions  of  the  friends  of  temperance  among  us  calls  for 
gratitude  to  God,  and  should  stimulate  us  to  persever- 
ance in  endeavoring  to  eradicate  from  among  us  a  habit 
fraught  with  so  much  evil,  and  with  such  destructive  con- 
sequences, as  the  use  of  ardent  spirits.  We  therefore 
recommend  to  our  brethren  to  refrain  from  the  use  of 
intoxicating  liquors,  except  when  prescribed  as  a  medicine 
by  temperate  physicians,  and  also  from  supplying  them  for 
others  except  in  the  above  case  any  way  whatever  'lest 
they  be  partakers  of  other  men's  sins.'"  The  letter  of 
the  Baptist  church  in  South  Berwick  contained  this  tem- 
perance item  :  "We  trust  that  we  are  a  temperate  church, 
for  we  believe  we  have  not  one  brother  who  is  not  consci- 
entiously opposed  to  the  use  of  ardent  spirits  in  the  prose- 
cution of  his  worldly  business.  We  would  not  knowingly 
receive  to  our  fellowship  anyone  who  thinks  it  right  to 

20 


290  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

drink  rum  even  moderately."  There  is  this  "General 
Remark"  in  the  Minutes  of  the  York  Association  this  year : 
'  'The  town  of  Lyman,  it  is  understood,  did  themselves  the 
honor  to  pass  a  vote  that  no  ardent  spirits  should  be  sold 
on  the  days  of  the  association  anywhere  within  one  mile 
of  the  place  of  worship ;  and  we  are  happy  to  state  that 
nothing  like  a  concourse  of  idlers  was  to  be  seen  anywhere 
in  the  vicinity." 

In  1830  and  1831,  there  were  revivals  in  many  of  the 
Baptist  churches  in  Maine.  In  York  Association,  at  South 
Berwick,  in  1831,  the  "obvious  fact"  was  recognized  in  a 
resolution  that  these  revivals  of  religion  had  come  "in 
the  track  of  the  temperance  reformation,"  and  it  was 
accordingly  "Resolved,  That  Christian  professors,  who  can 
practice  total  abstinence  from  the  use  of  ardent  spirits 
without  much  self-denial,  may  find  sufficient  reasons  for 
such  abstinence  in  its  salutary  influence  on  our  physical 
and  mental  powers,  and  in  the  deduction  it  will  make 
from  our  current  expenses,  and  the  consequent  increase 
in  our  means  of  charity ;  and  that  Christian  professors 
who  find  that  such  abstinence  will  cost  them  much  self- 
denial,  have  additional  reasons  for  the  immediate  adop- 
tion of  the  practice." 

This  action  of  the  York  Association  seemed  so  emi- 
nently fitting  that  the  same  resolutions  were  adopted  by 
the  Cumberland  Association  at  North  Yarmouth  in  1831. 

At  the  York  Association  at  Sanford,  in  1832,  the  churches 
were  "urged  to  become  temperance  societies."  The  read- 
ing of  the  resolution  was  followed  by  stirring  addresses. 
"Mr.  G.,  an  old  gentleman  of  about  seventy,  urged  the 
entire  banishment  of  the  liquid  fire,  alleging  that  it  was 
not  on  the  whole  advisable  or  desirable  to  use  it  as  a  medi- 
cine—that he  did  not  consider  it  any  alleviation  of  the 
infirmities  of  age,  and  at  any  rate  he  was  determined  to 
have  nothing  to  do  with  so  destructive  a  plague."  The 
remark  was  added  by  the  clerk  of  the  association  :  "There 
is  abroad  an  irrepressible  spirit  of  opposition  to  the  manu- 
facture, traffic  and  use  of  ardent  spirits,  and  if  is  rapidly 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  291 

pervading  the  churches  of  this  association ;  it  will  not,  it 
cannot  rest  until  the  foe  is  prostrate." 

A  resolution  adopted  by  the  Eastern  Maine  Association, 
in  1832,  set  forth  "the  imperious  duty"  of  every  professor 
of  religion  "to  spare  no  exertions  until  it  shall  be  consid- 
ered disreputable  to  import,  distill,  retail,  drink,  or  have 
anything  to  do  with  inebriating  liquors,  except  when  pre- 
scribed as  a  medicine  by  a  temperate  physician."  This 
resolution  was  again  presented  and  adopted  in  1833. 

Temperance  meetings  were  now  frequently  held,  but 
they  were  not  largely  attended,  and  they  did  not  attract 
much  attention.  March  31,  1833,  the  Portland  Young 
Men's  Temperance  Society  was  organized.  Neal  Dow  was 
one  of  those  who  were  interested  in  the  organization  of 
this  Society.  He,  with  some  others,  desired  to  have  the 
pledge  include  total  abstinence  from  the  milder  forms 
of  intoxicants  as  well  as  from  "ardent  spirits,"  but  the 
majority  were  not  ready  for  this  action.  It  is  a  matter  of 
interest  that  Henry  W.  Longfellow  was  one  of  the  mem- 
bers of  this  Young  Men's  Temperance  Society  in  Portland. 

But  the  churches  were  still  active  in  the  work  of  tem- 
perance reform.  The  York  Association,  which  met  at 
Wells  June  12  and  13,  1833,  by  the  rising  of  nearly  every 
person  in  the  house,  adopted  the  following :  '  'Whereas, 
we  consider  the  manufacture,  vending  and  drinking  of 
ardent  spirits  as  a  great  moral  evil,  and  that  most  of  the 
cases  of  the  discipline  of  the  members  of  our  churches 
arises  directly  or  indirectly  from  its  use,  and  as  tending 
to  continue  the  poverty,  crime,  wretchedness  and  ruin 
brought  upon  our  happy  country  by  intemperance  ;  also  as 
increasing  the  difficulties  of  giving  our  children  a  virtu- 
ous education  and  preparing  them  for  usefulness  in  time, 
and  happiness  in  eternity.  Resolved,  That  [the  members 
of]  this  association  are  deeply  penetrated  with  the  import- 
ance of  more  energetic  measures  to  purify  our  churches 
from  the  use  and  traffic  of  ardent  spirits,  and  we  ear- 
nestly entreat  the  churches  to  adopt  immediate  measures 
to  make  this  whole  body  a  temperance  society  on  the 


292  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

principle  of  total  abstinence. "  The  Penobscot  Association, 
at  its  meeting  in  Corinth,  September  11th  and  12th,  took 
almost  identical  action.  At  the  meeting  of  the  Cumber- 
land Association  in  Portland,  Aug.  28  and  29,  1833,  in 
view  of  what  had  ''been  done  among  our  churches  for 
the  cause  of  temperance, "  the  following  resolutions  were 
adopted :  "Resolved,  That  the  manufacture  or  use  of 
ardent  spirits,  or  the  traffic  in  the  same,  except  for  pur- 
poses connected  with  medicine  or  the  arts,  is  an  immoral- 
ity, and  ought  to  be  received  and  treated  as  such  through 
the  world.  Resolved,  That  this  immorality  is  inconsist- 
ent with  a  profession  of  the  Christian  religion,  and  that 
those  who  have  the  means  of  understanding  its  nature  and 
effects,  and  yet  continue  to  be  engaged  in  it,  ought  not 
to  be  admitted  as  members  of  our  churches.  Resolved, 
That  in  the  opinion  of  this  association,  those  members  of 
Christian  churches  who  continue  to  be  engaged  in  the 
manufacture,  use  or  traffic  of  ardent  spirits,  except  for 
the  purposes  already  specified,  are  acting  in  opposition  to 
the  principles  and  precepts  of  the  Christian  religion." 

These  are  clear,  distinct  utterances,  and  they  mark  the 
advanced  position  which  our  Baptist  churches  in  Maine 
were  now  prepared  to  take.  The  Maine  Baptist  Conven- 
tion met  in  Readfield  Oct.  9  and  10,  1833,  and  adopted 
resolutions  of  a  like  import,  adding  this  recommendation : 
"That  it  be  earnestly  recommended  to  all  the  churches 
connected  with  this  body  to  deliberate  prayerfully  upon 
the  question  whether  they  ought  not  to  take  some  efficient 
measures  to  purify  themselves  from  the  evil  of  intemper- 
ance, and  where  such  measures  are  taken,  to  report  their 
success  at  the  next  meeting  of  their  respective  associa- 
tions." 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Bowdoinham  Association  at  Fay- 
ette, Sept.  24  and  25,  1854,  a  resolution  was  passed  declar- 
ing "the  ordinary  use  of  ardent  spirits  in  any  quantity," 
"a  species  of  self-destruction,"  "contrary  to  the  spirit  of 
the  gospel,"  and  "a  sin  in  the  sight  of  God,"  while  the 
Circular  Letter,  by  Rev.  S.  Fogg  of  Winthrop,  took  the 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  293 

ground  that  those  churches  which  stand  aloof  from  the 
cause  of  temperance  and  countenance  intemperance  by 
temperate  drinking  cannot  expect  a  revival  of  religion  ; 
also  that  "those  individuals  in  the  church  who  use  it  as  a 
common  drink,  and  sell  or  give  it  to  others,  may  never 
expect  to  enjoy,  while  pursuing  this  course  to  any  con- 
siderable degree,  the  incomes  of  the  Holy  Spirit." 

When  Maine  became  a  State,  in  1820,  the  first  legisla- 
tion enacted  was  in  harmony  with  the  Massachusetts  laws 
relating  to  the  liquor  traffic.  The  first  law  of  Maine's  own 
enactment,  approved  March  20,  1821,  was  a  license  law, 
and  similar  to  the  existing  statute  in  Massachusetts.  In 
accordance  with  its  provisions,  licensing  boards  in  the 
several  towns  might  license  as  many  persons  of  "sober 
life  and  conversation,"  and  suitably  qualified,  as  they 
deemed  necessary.  The  license  fee  was  six  dollars.  This 
law  was  amended  from  time  to  time,  and  in  1829  it  was 
enacted  that  "no  license  granted  as  aforesaid  shall  author- 
ize the  sale  of  wine,  spiritous  or  mixed  liquors,  part  of 
which  is  spiritous,  to  be  drunk  in  the  store  or  shop  of  any 
victualer  or  retailer."  In  taverns,  however,  it  was  still 
allowable  to  sell  liquors  to  be  drunk  on  the  premises.  In 
1830,  an  act  was  approved  making  the  cost  of  a  license  to 
sell  liquors  to  be  drunk  on  the  premises  six  dollars,  and 
that  of  a  license  to  sell  liquors  not  to  be  drunk  on  the 
premises  three  dollars. 

But  in  1834,  after  twelve  years  of  unsatisfactory  experi- 
ence, all  former  legislation  was  repealed,  and  a  new  law 
was  enacted  making  the  license  fee  one  dollar.  There  was 
no  restriction  upon  the  sale  of  cider,  beer,  ale,  etc.  "No 
person  was  to  be  allowed  to  drink  to  drunkeness  or  excess 
in  any  licensed  shop,  nor  was  liquor  to  be  sold  to  any 
minor  or  servant,  under  pain  of  incurring  forfeiture  of  the 
bond.  Notices  were  to  be  given,  as  under  former  laws,  of 
persons  who  were  addicted  to  the  use  of  strong  liquors, 
and  licensed  persons  who  sold  to  such  were  to  forfeit  the 
penalties  of  the  bond." ^ 

*  Reminiscenses  of  Neal  Dow.  p.  228.    The  licensees  were  to  give  a  bond  of  $300  to 
observe  the  requirements  of  the  law. 


294  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

But  the  evils  of  intemperance  continued,  and  the  need 
of  a  more  effective  organization  on  the  part  of  the  advo- 
cates of  temperance  reform  was  recognized.  A  State 
organization  was  formed  in  February,  1834,  at  Augusta. 
It  did  not  make  total  abstinence  a  test  of  membership,  but 
sought  '  'the  promotion  of  sobriety  and  temperance  among 
the  people."  In  other  words,  its  voice  was  for  modera- 
tion in  the  use  of  intoxicating  drinks.  At  the  annual 
meeting  of  this  society,  held  in  Augusta  Feb.  2,  1837, 
it  was  proposed  to  make  total  abstinence,  not  only  from 
"ardent  spirits,"  but  from  the  milder  alcoholic  liquors,  a 
prerequisite  for  membership.  Ex-Gov.  King,  who  was 
president  of  the  society,  and  other  prominent  members 
were  opposed  to  any  such  action.  "They  took  the  ground 
that  there  was  a  Bible  warrant  for  the  use  of  wine ;  that 
harm  was  sure  to  come  to  the  temperance  cause  from  the 
adoption  of  a  proposition  so  generally  regarded  as  unwise 
and  fanatical."^  These  views  prevailed,  and  the  advo- 
cates of  total  abstinence  withdrew  and  organized,  in  *  'the 
public  meeting-house  at  Augusta,"  the  Maine  Temperance 
Union.  Abner  Coburn  of  Bloomfield,  afterward  governor 
of  Maine,  was  one  of  those  who  assisted  in  organizing 
this  new  temperance  society.  In  the  new  organization 
Neal  Dow,  Lot  M.  Morrill  and  Gen.  Samuel  Fessenden 
were  active  members.  Among  the  resolutions  adopted 
at  the  first  meeting  of  the  Union  was  the  following : 
"Resolved,  That  the  subject  of  petitioning  the  Legisla- 
ture for  prohibiting,  under  suitable  penalties,  the  sale  of 
intoxicating  liquors  as  a  drink  be  recommended  for  dis- 
cussion at  the  next  meeting  of  this  society." 

So  far  as  is  known,  this  was  the  first  recorded  public 
utterance  in  favor  of  prohibition  in  Maine,  and  from  that 
time  prohibition  as  a  restrictive  measure  had  its  earnest 
advocates— an  advocacy  that  resulted  in  the  enactment  of 
the  prohibitory  law  in  1851. 

In  the  Legislature  that  year  Gen.  Appleton  advocated 
the  principle  of  prohibition,  and  in  the  following  year, 

^  Reminiscenses  of  Neal  Dow,  p.  233. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  295 

in  his  inaugural  address  to  the  Legislature,  Gov.  Kent 
called  attention  to  the  importance  of  putting  such  "a  seal 
of  reprobation"  upon  the  traffic  in  ardent  spirits.  When 
the  Maine  Temperance  Union  met  in  Augusta,  Feb.  7, 
1838,  after  considerable  discussion,  the  following  resolu- 
tions were  adopted:  "Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  one 
from  each  county  be  raised  to  appear  before  the  commit- 
tee of  the  Legislature  which  has  under  consideration  the 
license  law.  Resolved,  That  this  committee  be  instructed 
to  advocate  the  passage  of  a  law  by  the  Legislature  pro- 
hibiting under  suitable  penalties  the  sale  of  all  intoxicat- 
ing liquors  as  a  drink."  This  committee  attended  to  its 
duty,  but  prohibition  was  not  enacted.  Its  importance, 
however,  was  more  and  more  widely  acknowledged  in 
temperance  circles  in  the  State. 

When  the  Bowdoinham  Association  held  its  annual  meet- 
ing at  Leeds,  Sept.  24,  25  and  26,  1839,  Rev.  W.  0.  Grant 
introduced  resolutions  on  "Our  Country,"  in  which  the 
first  distinct  note  in  favor  of  prohibition  was  sounded  in 
our  Baptist  associations  in  these  words  :  '  'That  the  man- 
ufacture and  use  of  all  intoxicating  drinks  be  legally  sup- 
pressed, and  that  these  alarming  and  formidable  obstacles 
in  the  way  of  our  country's  peace  and  happiness,  and  the 
success  of  the  gospel,  may  be  removed  forever." 

The  advanced  temperance  people  in  the  churches  con- 
nected themselves  with  the  Maine  Temperance  Union, 
which  at  its  meetings  emphasized  the  importance  of  a 
law  prohibiting  the  sale  of  intoxicating  liquors  as  a  bev- 
erage. 

In  1841,  came  the  great  Washingtonian  movement.  In 
this  movement  moral  suasion  was  made  prominent.  The 
Maine  Temperance  Union  hailed  it  as  the  dawn  of  a 
brighter  day,  and  at  the  meeting  of  the  Union  in  1842,  a 
resolution  advocating  prohibition  was  laid  on  the  table. 
In  the  following  year,  however,  after  a  warm  discussion, 
the  following  resolution  was  adopted:  "Resolved,  That 
while  moral  suasion  shall  continue  to  be  urged  upon  those 
engaged  in  the  sale  of  intoxicating  drinks,  we  are  con- 


296  HISTORY  OP  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

strained  to  regard  them  as  offenders  against  the  good  and 
wholesome  laws  of  the  land,  and  can  see  no  reason  why 
they  as  well  as  other  offenders  should  not  be  held  amen- 
able to  those  laws."  But  the  battle  was  not  yet  won. 
The  advocates  of  prohibition  and  the  advocates  of  moral 
suasion  in  the  Maine  Temperance  Union  continued  the 
discussion  at  its  annual  sessions.  At  the  meeting  held 
in  Augusta,  June  24,  1846,  the  resolutions  adopted  took 
strong  ground  in  favor  of  prohibition,  and  it  was  voted 
that  "Gen.  Appleton,  Neal  Dow  and  John  T.  Walton  be 
requested  to  appear  before  the  legislative  committee  on 
license  laws  to  represent  the  views  and  wishes  of  the 
thousands  of  our  State  who  have  asked  by  their  petitions 
the  passage  of  a  law  which  shall  effectually  close  up  the 
drinking  houses  and  tippling  shops."  Such  a  law  was 
passed  by  a  vote  of  eighty-one  to  forty-two  in  the  House, 
and  twenty-three  to  five  in  the  Senate,  and  the  law  was 
approved  by  Gov.  Anderson  Aug.  7,  1846. 

Many  of  the  advocates  of  temperance  reform  were  not 
entirely  satisfied  with  the  law  as  enacted.  At  the  Cum- 
berland Association,  which  met  in  New  Gloucester  Aug. 
25,  26  and  27,  1846,  a  resolution  was  adopted  to  this  effect, 
that  as  citizens  of  the  State  they  would  use  all  proper 
efforts  to  carry  into  effect  the  recently-enacted  law  for 
suppressing  the  sale  of  intoxicating  liquors,  "holding  our- 
selves at  the  same  time  ready  to  co-operate  in  all  proper 
measures  to  procure  such  amendments  to  the  law  as  expe- 
rience may  prove  needful."  It  was  evidently  believed 
that  some  amendments  would  be  found  necessary.  The 
resolution  adopted  by  the  Bowdoinham  Association,  which 
met  at  East  Livermore  Sept.  23  and  24,  1846,  contained 
no  reference  to  amendments,  but  rang  out  loud  and  clear 
as  follows:  "Resolved,  That  we  regard  the  recent  law 
passed  by  our  Legislature,  restricting  the  sale  of  ardent 
spirits,  as  indicative  of  sound  temperance  principles  in  the 
State,  and  that  we  are  bound  to  do  all  in  our  power  to 
secure  universal  obedience  to  it." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  297 

Amendments  were  made  to  the  new  law  by  succeeding 
Legislatures,  but  they  were  for  the  most  part  along  the 
line  of  increased  penalties  for  the  violation  of  the  law. 
More  and  more  prohibition  became  a  disturbing  element 
in  the  politics  of  the  State.  Its  friends  very  naturally 
desired  to  make  the  provisions  of  the  nev/  law  as  effective 
as  possible,  and  it  was  found  necessary  to  have  as  mem- 
bers of  the  Legislature  men  who  were  favorable  to  such 
legislation.  In  all  parts  of  Maine  the  issue  was  squarely 
made  in  town,  city  and  State  elections.  In  Portland,  in 
1851,  Neal  Dow  was  elected  mayor  of  the  city,  and  in  his 
inaugural  address  he  gave  expression  to  his  well-known 
views:  "I  have  good  reason  to  believe,"  he  said,  "that  a 
very  large  majority  of  the  people  of  this  city  and  of  the 
State  are  in  favor  of  the  adoption  of  some  effectual  meas- 
ures for  the  suppression  of  a  business  which  is  at  war 
with  every  principle  of  humanity  and  enlightened  patriot- 
ism, and  which  violates  the  law  of  God  as  well  as  the  law 
of  the  land.  ...  In  the  larger  towns  and  cities  in 
this  State,  no  decisive  movement  can  be  made  to  suppress 
the  numerous  drinking  houses  and  tippling  shops  by  which 
they  are  infested  without  the  enactment  of  a  law  for  that 
purpose  which  shall  be  sufficiently  stringent  in  its  provis- 
ions and  summary  in  its  processes  to  effect  its  objects." 

It  is  evident  from  these  words  that  the  law  of  1846,  even 
as  amended  from  time  to  time,  was  not  regarded  as  satis- 
factory by  the  advocates  of  prohibition.  A  new  law  was 
drafted  by  Mr.  Dow,  and  presented  in  the  Legislature, 
which  was  strongly  Democratic.  It  came  up  for  action 
May  29,  1851,  and  was  passed  to  be  engrossed  in  the 
House  on  that  day  by  a  vote  of  eighty-one  to  forty.  In 
favor  of  the  bill  were  forty-two  Democrats,  thirty-one 
Whigs,  and  eight  Free  Soilers  ;  opposed  to  it  were  twenty- 
five  Democrats  and  fifteen  Whigs.  In  the  Senate  on  the 
following  day  the  vote  was  eighteen  in  favor  of  the  bill 
and  ten  opposed,  divided  politically  as  follows :  for  the 
bill,  fourteen  Democrats,  three  Whigs  and  one  Free  Soiler  ; 


298  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

against  it,  ten  Democrats.  The  bill  received  the  approval 
of  Gov.  Hubbard  June  2,  1851. 

In  all  the  movements  that  led  up  to  this  result  the  mem- 
bers of  Baptist  churches  in  Maine  had  a  deep,  abiding 
interest  and  their  satisfaction  in  the  enactment  of  the 
prohibitory  law  of  1851  found  expression  at  the  meet- 
ings of  the  denomination  that  followed.  The  Cumberland 
Association,  at  its  meeting  in  Auburn,  Aug.  26,  27  and  28, 
1851,  adopted  the  following:  "Resolved,  That  we  sym- 
pathize with  the  friends  of  temperance  generally  in  hail- 
ing with  deep  interest  the  new  law  for  the  suppression  of 
the  sale  of  spirits,  passed  by  the  Legislature  of  this  State 
at  its  last  session,  and  we  hope  that  all  will  endeavor  to 
use  it  to  the  best  possible  advantage,  until  the  nefarious 
traffic  in  spirits  is  entirely  broken  up." 

The  Penobscot  Association,  which  met  at  Bradford  Sept. 
9,  10  and  11,  1851,  passed  the  following  resolution:  "Re- 
solved, That  in  the  opinion  of  this  association,  the  law 
of  this  State,  prohibiting  the  traffic  in  ardent  spirits,  is,  in 
its  essential  character  and  provisions,  demanded  by  the 
best  interests  of  the  people,  and  conformed  to  the  princi- 
ples of  Christian  righteousness ;  and  that  all  good  and 
Christian  men  be  urged  to  give  it  their  cordial  and  active 
support." 

Oxford  Association,  which  met  at  Bridgton  Sept.  17  and 
18,  1851,  adopted  the  following:  "We  hereby  express  our 
strong  approval  of  the  anti-liquor  law,  lately  enacted  by 
the  Legislature  of  the  State,  and  we  recommend  to  all  the 
members  of  our  churches  to  sustain  it,  as  the  last  hope  of 
thousands  who  are  suffering  by  unholy  traffic  in  spiritous 
liquors,  which  has  been  so  largely  carried  on  by  men  who 
neither  fear  God  nor  regard  man." 

Bowdoinham  Association,  at  Leeds,  Sept.  24  and  25, 1851, 
took  the  following  action  :  "Resolved,  That  the  law  passed 
at  the  recent  session  of  our  Legislature  for  the  suppres- 
sion of  the  traffic  in  intoxicating  liquors  deserves  the 
hearty  approval  of  every  Christian  and  good  citizen. ' ' 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  299 

The  good  effects  of  the  law  were  soon  apparent.  There 
was  a  diminution  of  crime  and  pauperism  in  the  State. 
For  the  first  time  since  their  erection  the  county  jails  of 
Kennebec  and  Oxford  were  empty.  The  law  was  found  to 
be  a  practical  working  law,  and  when  the  Legislature  of 
1852  met  there  was  no  attempt  to  repeal  it. 

The  general  feeling  was  expressed  at  the  meeting  of  the 
Maine  Baptist  Convention  in  Bath,  June  15,  16  and  17, 
1852 :  "Resolved,  That  the  Legislature  of  the  State  in  the 
enactment  of  the  law  known  as  'The  Maine  Liquor  Law, ' 
has  furnished  occasion  for  hearty  rejoicing ;  and  the  suc- 
cessful operation  of  the  law  during  the  year  since  its 
enactment  has  awakened  confident  hopes  in  regard  to  the 
suppression  of  intemperance. ' ' 

When  the  Legislature  met  in  1853,  Gov.  Crosby,  in  his 
inaugural  address,  said :  "I  am  not  aware  that  any  fur- 
ther legislation  upon  the  subject  [of  temperance]  is  con- 
templated. If  it  is,  I  can  only  invite  you  to  give  it  the 
calm  and  deliberate  consideration  to  which  a  subject  mat- 
ter of  such  magnitude,  involving  principles  so  important 
and  consequences  so  momentous— the  moral  welfare  and 
civil  rights  of  a  people— is  entitled.  But  I  would  here,  as 
elsewhere,  in  the  name  of  humanity,  forbid  the  banns 
between  temperance  and  religious  sect  or  political  party." 
At  a  State  temperance  convention,  held  in  Augusta  soon 
after,  Neal  Dow,  responding  to  the  governor's  sugges- 
tion, offered  the  following  resolution  :  "Resolved,  That  the 
banns  be  forbidden  between  rum  and  religion  and  politics 
of  every  party  and  every  sect,  and,  in  the  name  of  God 
and  humanity,  that  a  union  be  proclaimed,  holy  and  indis- 
soluble, of  affection  as  well  as  of  necessity,  between  tem- 
perance, religion  and  politics  of  every  party  and  of  every 
sect." 

The  amendments  made  to  the  prohibitory  law  by  the 
Legislature  of  1853  were  in  the  line  of  increased  effi- 
ciency. But  the  opponents  of  the  law  were  active  in  their 
■endeavors  to  overthrow  it.     At  the  meeting  of  the  Lincoln 


300  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

Association  in  St.  George,  Sept.  21  and  22,  1853,  the  voice 
of  the  churches  found  expression  in  the  following  resolu- 
tions which  were  adopted:  ''Resolved,  That  we  recognize 
the  hand  of  God  in  the  enactment  and  successful  working 
of  the  Maine  Liquor  Law,  and  bless  his  name  for  the  evi- 
dence we  have  that  it  is  deeply  seated  in  the  hearts  of  the 
people.  Resolved,  That  while  wicked  men  oppose  it,  and 
spare  no  efforts  for  its  overthrow,  it  is  especially  incum- 
bent upon  Christians  to  sustain  it  by  their  prayers  in  the 
closet,  their  example  in  life,  and  their  votes  at  the  polls. 
Resolved,  That  the  result  of  our  recent  State  election  is  an 
overwhelming  demonstration  in  favor  of  the  Maine  Law 
and  a  stern  and  startling  rebuke  to  those  designing  polit- 
ical demagogues  who  would  erase  it  from  our  statute 
book." 

Penobscot  Association,  which  met  at  Kenduskeag  Sept. 
5,  6  and  7,  1854,  after  an  expression  of  thankfulness  to 
God  "for  the  enactment  of  a  prohibitory  law,"  "Resolved, 
That  in  the  coming  election  we  will  give  our  votes  only  to 
such  gubernatorial  and  legislative  nominees  who  are  well 
known  as  having  given  unmistakable  assurance  that  the 
Maine  Law  shall  have  their  unqualified  support."  This 
was  unanimously  adopted  by  a  rising  vote. 

Opposition  to  the  law,  however,  continued,  and  in  Port- 
land, June  2,  1855,  developed  into  a  riot,  in  which  one 
rioter  was  killed  and  three  or  four  wounded.  Misrepre- 
sentations as  to  the  cause  of  this  riot  were  used  in  all 
parts  of  the  State  in  opposition  to  the  prohibitory  law, 
and  these  were  very  effective  in  the  political  campaign 
that  followed.  The  result  was  the  election  of  a  Legisla- 
ture which,  early  in  1856,  repealed  the  prohibitory  law  and 
enacted  a  license  law  in  its  place. 

But  the  friends  of  temperance  were  not  disheartened. 
At  the  meeting  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Convention,  which 
was  held  in  Rockland  June  17,  18  and  19,  1856,  the  follow- 
ing action  was  taken  :  "Resolved,  That  our  interest  in  the 
subject  of  temperance  among  the  people  of  this  State  con- 
tinues unabated  ;  and  that  we  regard  a  prohibitory  law  as 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  301 

one  great  measure  for  the  suppression  of  intemperance, 
and  are  ready  to  unite  in  all  wise  and  efficient  endeavors 
to  secure  the  establishment  of  such  a  law  in  this  common- 
wealth." The  people  of  Maine  were  soon  of  this  opinion. 
The  Legislature,  early  in  1858,  enacted  a  new  prohibitory 
law  by  a  vote  in  the  Senate  of  twenty-four  to  one,  and  in 
the  House  of  one  hundred  and  four  to  twenty-seven.  This 
law  received  the  approval  of  the  governor,  and  was  sub- 
mitted to  the  approval  of  the  people  at  a  special  election. 
The  issue  presented  was  "The  Prohibitory  Law  of  1858" 
or  "The  License  Law  of  1856."  This  action  was  unneces- 
sary, as  the  law  would  have  been  operative  whatever  the 
vote  of  the  people,  but  the  law  received  an  endorsement 
which  brought  confusion  to  its  opponents.  The  vote  was 
28,855  in  favor  of  prohibition  and  5,912  in  favor  of  license. 
So  manifest  was  the  approval  of  the  principle  of  prohibi- 
tion by  the  people  of  Maine  that  organized  opposition  to 
the  law  now  ceased.  The  battle  had  been  fought  and 
won,  and  in  this  battle  the  Baptists  of  the  State,  as  we 
have  seen,  had  arrayed  themselves  strongly  on  the  side 
of  prohibition. 

But  although  the  battle  had  been  won,  eternal  vigilance 
was  still  necessary  in  order  to  meet  the  efforts  of  those 
who  in  various  ways  sought  to  make  the  law  of  no  effect. 
It  was  at  length  thought  by  many  of  the  prominent  advo- 
cates of  prohibition  in  Maine  that  an  added  step  forward 
would  be  taken  by  removing  prohibition  from  politics  and 
giving  it  a  place  in  the  constitution  of  the  State.  An 
amendment  was  consequently  prepared,  and  this  received 
the  endorsement  of  the  Baptists  of  the  State  in  their 
annual  associational  and  anniversary  meetings.  One  of 
the  resolutions  presented  and  adopted  at  the  meeting  of 
the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Convention,  Oct.  4,  1882, 
commended  heartily  "the  effort  to  secure  a  constitutional 
amendment,  which  shall  utterly  prohibit  all  traffic  in  intox- 
icating liquors."  The  resolution  submitting  the  prohibi- 
tory amendment  to  the  people  of  Maine  was  adopted  by 
the  Legislature  Feb.  21,  1883,  and  the  amendment  was 


302  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

accepted  by  the  voters  of  the  State  Sept.  8,  1884,  the 
vote  being  three  to  one  in  its  favor.  At  the  meeting  of 
the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Convention,  held  at  Houl- 
ton  Oct.  8,  1884,  action  was  taken  recognizing  "with 
devout  thanksgiving  to  God  the  temperance  sentiment  in 
our  State  indicated  by  the  adoption  of  the  constitutional 
amendment,  making  the  prohibitory  law  a  part  of  the 
organic  law  of  the  State." 

It  is  still,  however,  found  necessary  to  insist  that  the 
sworn  officers  of  the  State,  whose  duty  it  is  to  execute  the 
laws,  shall  be  faithful.  It  is  an  encouraging  fact  that  in 
Maine  as  a  whole  there  has  been  a  more  rigid  enforce- 
ment of  the  prohibitory  law  in  the  past  few  years  than  at 
any  previous  time,  certainly  for  a  long  while.  Such  an 
enforcement,  as  might  be  expected,  is  conducive  to  the 
peace  and  prosperity  of  our  people.  It  is  sometimes  said 
that  prohibition  does  not  prohibit.  Of  course  it  prohibits, 
but  the  statement  is  made  with  the  meaning  that  the  law 
does  not  wholly  prevent  the  sale  of  intoxicating  liquors  in 
Maine.  No  law  against  crime  in  our  State  wholly  pre- 
vents crime.  The  prohibitory  law  is  a  restrictive  meas- 
ure, and  the  great  body  of  the  people  of  Maine  are  of  the 
opinion  that  it  is  the  best  restrictive  measure  that  has  as 
yet  been  enacted  for  the  suppression  of  the  liquor  traffic. 
All  temperance  action  in  our  Conventions  and  associations 
in  recent  years  furnishes  abundant  evidence  that  in  that 
conviction  the  Baptists  of  Maine  still  abide. 


CHAPTER  XX. 


Anti-Slavery  Agitation. 

The  condition  of  the  slaves  in  the  Southern  States  early- 
received  the  attention  of  the  Baptists  of  Maine.  Organ- 
ized efforts  at  the  North  in  behalf  of  the  slave  were  first 
made  by  the  American  Colonization  Society,  formed  at 
Princeton,  N.  J.,  in  1811.  In  our  Maine  churches  there 
were  those  who  gave  to  that  organization  their  prayers 
and  financial  support.  At  the  meeting  of  the  Bowdoinham 
Association  at  Greene,  Sept.  24  and  25,  1829,  it  was  rec- 
ommended to  the  churches  connected  with  the  association 
that  they  '  'observe  the  Fourth  of  July  in  a  religious  man- 
ner, and  that  a  collection  be  made  to  aid  the  object  of 
the  Colonization  Society."  This  Society  received  a  more 
formal  endorsement  at  the  meeting  of  the  Maine  Baptist 
Convention  in  Warren,  Oct.  10  and  11,  1832.  Rev.  Mr. 
Pearl,  agent  of  the  Colonization  Society,  was  present,  and 
the  business  of  one  of  the  sessions  was  suspended  in  order 
that  he  might  address  the  Convention.  After  the  address 
the  Convention  expressed  its  approval  of  the  efforts  of  the 
Colonization  Society  '  'for  the  amelioration  of  the  condition 
of  the  people  of  color  now  in  the  United  States,"  and 
promised  to  co-operate  with  the  agent  of  the  Society  in 
promoting  this  object. 

For  a  number  of  years  anti-slavery  sentiment  found 
expression  in  pledging  co-operation  with  the  American 
Colonization  Society,  which  was  supported  by  the  best 
men  in  Virginia  and  Kentucky  as  well  as  in  the  North. 
Its  aim  was  gradual  emancipation  and  the  nationalization 
of  the  colored  people  on  the  coast  of  Africa  as  a  Chris- 
tianized republic.  In  South  Carolina  and  other  Southern 
States,  however,  opposition  to  these  aims  was  developed 


304  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

as  antagonistic  to  the  permanence  of  slavery  in  the  United 
States.  The  agents  of  the  Society  were  arrested  and 
imprisoned.  This  not  only  intensified  the  feeling  at  the 
North  against  slavery,  but  made  advocates  for  immediate 
emancipation.  Garrison  characterized  the  whole  scheme 
of  colonization  as  a  conspiracy  against  the  rights  of  the 
colored  people,  and  through  his  paper,  the  Liberator, 
denounced  slaveholding  as  a  sin  against  God  and  human- 
ity. The  American  Colonization  Journal,  in  its  issue  for 
October,  1830,  had  "An  Appeal  to  South  Carolina,"  which 
told  the  story  of  the  situation  at  that  time  and  is  histor- 
ically significant. 

So  far  as  is  known,  the  first  anti-slavery  society  in 
Maine  was  organized  in  Hallowell,  Nov.  18,  1833,  in  the 
house  of  Dea.  Eben  Dole.  Prayer  was  offered  by  Dea. 
James  Gow.  The  constitution  adopted  by  this  society 
asserted  the  rights  of  man,  the  atrocious  wickedness  of 
slavery,  and  "the  duty  to  obey  God  and  let  the  oppressed 
go  free."  Moral  means  were  to  be  used  in  promoting  the 
objects  of  the  society.  What  was  sought  was  "the  thor- 
ough instruction  of  the  people  of  the  whole  country,  the 
improvement  of  the  free  colored  people,  and  abandonment 
of  prejudice  on  account  of  color. "  ^  Other  similar  societies 
were  organized  in  various  places. 

Baptists  were  prominent  in  this  agitation.  At  the  Ken- 
nebec Association,  held  in  Sidney  Sept.  3  and  4,  1834,  a 
committee  on  slavery  was  appointed,  of  which  Prof.  Cal- 
vin Newton  was  chairman.  This  committee  made  the 
following  report  which  was  accepted  :  "That  slavery  is  a 
fearful  violation  of  the  will  of  him  who  has  created  all 
men  free  and  equal ;  that  in  our  own  land  it  imposes  a 
mighty  barrier  to  the  coming  of  our  Lord's  kingdom ;  nay, 
that  at  this  moment  it  is  causing  the  wrath  of  Almighty 
God  to  be  impended  over  us  as  a  nation ;  and  that,  unless 
speedy  and  suitable  measures  are  taken  for  the  removal 
of  this  evil,  we  have  reason  soon  to  expect  the  most  calam- 
itous and  tremendous  results  from  divine  interposition." 

'  Anti-Slavery  History,  Willey,  p.  44. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  305 

Interest  in  the  slavery  question  in  the  State  increased  so 
rapidly  that  a  call  for  a  convention  to  form  a  Maine  Anti- 
Slavery  Society  was  issued  Aug.  16,  1834.  All  anti- 
slavery  societies  and  friends  of  immediate  emancipation 
were  invited  to  meet  in  Augusta  on  the  third  Wednesday 
in  October,  and  "unite  in  fervent  prayer  to  Almighty  God 
to  direct  and  bless  our  efforts  to  abolish  slavery  through- 
out the  land."  The  convention  met  October  15th.  Repre- 
sentatives of  the  several  denominations  in  the  State  were 
present.  Rev.  David  Thurston  of  Winthrop  was  chairman 
of  the  convention.  Prof.  Calvin  Newton  of  Waterville 
College  was  a  member  of  the  executive  committee.  The 
fundamental  principles  of  the  Society,  as  announced  in 
the  constitution,  were  '  'that  slaveholding  is  a  heinous  sin 
against  God,  and,  therefore,  that  immediate  emancipation, 
without  the  condition  of  expatriation,  is  the  duty  of  the 
master  and  the  right  of  the  slave."  It  was  the  aim  of 
the  Society  to  do  what  it  could  "by  moral  and  religious 
means,  and  by  no  other,  to  secure  the  immediate  and 
entire  emancipation  of  our  enslaved  brethren  and  sisters." 
"This  Society,"  it  was  stated,  "will  encourage  and  pro- 
mote the  intellectual,  moral  and  religious  improvement  of 
the  free  people  of  color,  and,  by  correcting  prevailing  and 
wicked  prejudices,  endeavor  to  obtain  for  them,  as  well 
as  the  enslaved,  an  equality  with  the  whites  in  civil,  intel- 
lectual and  religious  privileges,  but  will  never  counte- 
nance the  oppressed  in  vindicating  their  rights  by  physical 
force."  Among  the  Baptists  who  participated  in  this 
meeting  and  signed  the  constitution,  besides  Prof.  Calvin 
Newton,  were  Rev.  Arthur  Drinkwater  and  Rev.  T.  B. 
Robinson.  George  Thompson,  the  English  anti-slavery 
advocate,  was  present  and  addressed  the  convention.  He 
also  visited  Waterville  and  made  one  of  his  thrillingly 
eloquent  addresses  there. 

The  meeting  of  the  Bowdoinham  Association  in  1834  was 
held  in  Fayette  September  24th  and  25th.  Mr.  Phelps, 
an  agent  of  the  Anti-Slavery  Society,  was  present  and 
delivered  an  address.     The  following  action  was  taken : 

21 


306  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

"Believing  that  God  has  made  of  one  blood  all  nations  of 
men,  and  has  endowed  all  with  certain  inalienable  rights, 
among  which  are  life,  liberty  and  the  pursuit  of  happi- 
ness, and  consequently  to  hold  property  in  man,  as  in  any 
merchandise  or  article  of  traffic,  is  utterly  repugnant  to 
the  laws  of  God  and  common  justice ;  and  whereas,  two 
millions  of  our  fellow  men  are  held  in  abject  slavery  by 
this  nation,  and  considered  by  their  masters  in  the  light  of 
property,  therefore,  Resolved,  That  we  consider  slavery, 
as  understood  in  this  nation,  a  great  moral  evil ;  that  we 
deprecate  the  judgments  of  a  righteous  God,  to  which  the 
sin  of  slavery  exposes  our  beloved  country ;  that  it  is  the 
duty  of  every  Christian  and  philanthropist  to  enlighten 
the  public,  by  all  prudent  means,  on  the  evils  of  slavery 
and  endeavor  to  effect  an  immediate  emancipation  of  all 
the  slaves  in  this  nation." 

The  Eastern  Maine  Association  at  Cherryfield,  Sept.  3 
and  4,  1834,  adopted  the  following:  ''Resolved,  That  the 
slavery  of  upwards  of  two  millions  of  American  citizens 
in  the  United  States  is  a  sin  of  fearful  magnitude,  and 
demands  for  its  overthrow  the  united  and  vigorous  exer- 
tions of  all  who  love  their  country  and  the  religion  of 
Christ." 

Clear,  strong  convictions  were  held  by  those  who  passed 
these  resolutions.  The  sin  of  slavery  they  saw,  and  there 
was  a  vision  of  the  terrible  judgments  of  a  righteous  God 
on  account  of  slavery.  It  was  as  if  they  foresaw  the 
mighty  scourge  of  war,  and  as  if  already  the  thought  was 
in  their  minds  to  which  Lincoln  in  his  second  inaugural 
gave  expression :  "Yet  if  God  wills  that  it  continue  until 
all  the  wealth  piled  by  the  bondman's  two  hundred  and 
fifty  years  of  unrequited  toil  shall  be  sunk,  and  until  every 
drop  of  blood  drawn  with  the  lash  shall  be  paid  by  another 
drawn  with  the  sword,  as  was  said  three  thousand  years 
ago,  so  still  it  must  be  said  that  the  judgments  of  the 
Lord  are  true  and  righteous  altogether."  Certainly  the 
thought  of  divine  judgment  was  in  their  minds,  and  they 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  307 

stood  aghast  at  the  prospect  of  impending  national  dis- 
aster because  of  the  sin  of  slavery. 

As  the  anti-slavery  movement  gained  in  strength,  oppo- 
sition to  it  was  manifested,  and  this  was  so  strong  in  many 
places  that  anti-slavery  meetings  were  broken  up  and  the 
advocates  of  anti-slavery  were  severely  denounced.  At 
the  first  anniversary  of  the  Maine  Anti-Slavery  Society, 
held  in  Brunswick  Oct.  28  and  29,  1835,  resolutions  were 
presented  denying  the  charge  of  vituperative  language  on 
the  part  of  the  advocates  of  anti-slavery,  and  declaring 
that  the  right  of  free  speech  "shall  never  be  surrendered 
while  there  remains  a  drop  of  Pilgrim  blood  in  our  veins." 
At  this  meeting  Prof.  Calvin  Newton  of  Waterville  Col- 
lege was  elected  a  vice  president  of  the  Society,  and  Rev. 
John  Butler  was  made  a  member  of  the  executive  commit- 
tee. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Penobscot  Association,  held  in 
Etna  Sept.  9  and  10,  1835,  Dea.  Royal  Clark  of  Bangor 
was  elected  chairman  of  the  committee  on  slavery.  The 
report  of  the  committee,  which  was  adopted,  was  as  fol- 
lows: "Believing  slavery  to  be  a  great  evil,  and  so  con- 
sidered by  our  brethren  at  the  South,  as  well  as  by  the 
churches  at  the  North,  and  an  impediment  to  the  recep- 
tion of  the  gospel  among  our  colored  brethren,  therefore, 
Resolved,  That  we  will  make  the  unpleasant  situation  of 
the  master  and  the  unhappy  and  degraded  state  of  the 
slave  a  subject  of  special  prayer  at  our  monthly  concerts 
and  other  meetings,  that  he  who  made  of  one  blood  all  the 
nations  of  the  earth  would  in  infinite  mercy  speedily  open 
a  way  in  his  kind  providence  by  which  the  bonds  of  the 
slave  may  be  broken,  and  all  men  learn  the  great  command 
of  the  Saviour,  to  love  their  neighbors  as  themselves." 
The  conciliatory  spirit  of  the  anti-slavery  advocates  in 
our  churches  is  easily  discoverable  in  this  resolution.  The 
same  spirit  is  discoverable  at  the  Bowdoinham  Association, 
which  met  at  Wayne  Sept.  23  and  24,  1835.  Rev.  Arthur 
Drinkwater  presented  the  report  of  the  committee  on  slav- 


308  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

ery,  which  was  adopted:  "Resolved,  That  the  system  of 
American  slavery,  or  the  assumed  right  of  holding  prop- 
erty in  man,  is  inconsistent  with  the  principles  and  pre- 
cepts of  the  gospel  of  Christ,  which  teaches  us  that  'all 
things  whatsoever  ye  would  that  men  should  do  unto  you, 
do  ye  even  so  to  them.'  Resolved,  that  it  is  the  duty  of 
the  churches  composing  this  body  to  remember,  in  prayer, 
those  who  are  in  bonds  as  bound  with  them ;  and  in  the 
spirit  of  love  and  faithfulness  to  use  such  moral  means 
as  are  in  accordance  with  the  constitution  of  our  country, 
and  the  laws  of  God,  to  remove  this  sin  from  the  Christian 
church.  Resolved,  That  we  are  sensible  that  a  large  por- 
tion of  the  Christian  community  in  the  slaveholding  States 
are  our  brethren  of  the  Baptist  denomination,  that  among 
these  are  many  masters  who  feel  that  it  is  their  duty  to  do 
all  in  their  power  to  promote  the  temporal  and  spiritual 
welfare  of  their  slaves,  and  we  deeply  sympathize  with 
them  that  they  are  not  able  to  do  more." 

When  the  Maine  Baptist  Convention  met  in  Portland, 
Oct.  7  and  8,  1835,  Rev.  Hervey  Hawes,  pastor  of  the  First 
Hampden  church,  presented  the  following  preamble  and 
resolution  for  consideration  and  action:  "Whereas  God 
hath  shown  himself  in  all  ages  the  friend  of  the  oppressed, 
and  the  uniform  tendency  of  the  Christian  religion  has 
been  to  destroy  all  unrighteousness  and  oppression ;  and 
whereas  the  existence  of  personal  slavery  in  the  South- 
ern States  of  this  country  is  a  great  moral  evil,  evidently 
contrary  to  the  first  principles  of  the  moral  law  of  God 
and  the  gospel,  therefore.  Resolved,  That  it  is  the  duty 
of  the  ministers  of  the  gospel  composing  this  Convention, 
without  in  any  way  interfering  with  or  pronouncing  upon 
particular  measures  for  the  extinction  of  this  evil,  to  rec- 
ommend to  their  churches  special  prayer  to  God  for  wis- 
dom, to  all  concerned  in  its  continuance,  so  that  a  speedy, 
legal  and  peaceable  termination  of  slavery  may  by  the 
divine  blessing  be  brought  about."  This  resolution  was 
adopted.  But  evidently  there  were  those  present  who  did 
not  wish  to  be  regarded  as  in  sympathy  with  the  extreme 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  309 

views  which  found  expression  in  the  anti-slavery  societies 
of  the  day,  and  Rev.  J.  S.  Maginnis,  pastor  of  the  First 
Baptist  church,  Portland,  offered  the  following  added  res- 
olution, which  was  also  adopted:  "Resolved,  That  in  the 
resolution  which  we  have  just  passed  on  the  subject  of 
slavery,  we  do  not  design  to  identify  the  members  of 
this  body  with  any  particular  society."  Doubtless  it  was 
thought  that  such  a  disclaimer  was  necessary,  and  it  was 
accordingly  made. 

At  the  second  meeting  of  the  Maine  Anti-Slavery  Soci- 
ety, held  in  Portland  Oct.  27,  1836,  a  resolution  was  pre- 
sented condemning  President  Wayland's  recently  published 
work  on  The  Limitations  of  Human  Responsibilities,  which 
it  was  said  had  "been  extensively  circulated  and  adopted 
as  a  text-book  at"  the  South  by  slaveholders,  and  their  sup- 
porters at  the  North,"  but  so  far  as  it  related  to  anti- 
slavery  action  was  "inaccurate  in  statement,  sophistical 
and  deceptive  in  reasoning,  absurd  in  conclusions  and 
totally  unworthy  of  its  distinguished  author."  The  refer- 
ence was  to  a  small  volume  published  by  Dr.  Wayland  in 
which  he  called  attention  to  what  he  regarded  as  a  strong 
tendency  in  persons  engaged  in  philanthropic  and  reli- 
gious enterprises  to  assume  and  to  urge  upon  others  exag- 
gerated views  of  the  extent  of  man's  responsibilities  for 
the  ills  that  afflict  his  fellows.  In  this  work  the  posi- 
tion was  taken  ^  that  there  is  a  limit  to  man's  responsi- 
bility ;  that  he  is  responsible  for  results  only  up  to  the 
extent  of  his  power  over  them ;  that  no  man  is  responsi- 
ble for  evils  which  he  cannot  prevent  without  transcend- 
ing the  means  with  which  Providence  has  endowed  him, 
and  without  violating  the  relations  which  he  holds  to  his 
fellows,  and  the  duties  which  grow  out  of  these  relations. 
The  bearing  of  this  upon  the  anti-slavery  agitation  was 
exhibited  in  the  closing  chapter  of  the  work,  in  which  Dr. 
Wayland  considered  one's  responsibilities  and  duties  in 
regard  to  slavery.  It  is  evident  that  Dr.  Wayland,  in  his 
protest  against  a  disposition  to  crowd  men  beyond  the 

'  Life  of  Francis  Wayland,  Vol.  1.  p.  390. 


310  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

limit  of  their  duties,  had  failed  to  bring  them  up  to  that 
limit,  and  his  biographers  say  that  in  his  effort  to  be  per- 
fectly just  it  is  possible  that  unconsciously  he  conceded 
too  much.  Certainly  Dr.  Wayland's  opposition  to  slavery 
increased.  "When  called  on,  in  his  Moral  Science,  to 
test  slavery  by  the  absolute  standard  of  rectitude,  he 
pronounced  it  at  variance  with  the  revealed  will  of  God, 
disastrous  in  its  effects  upon  the  morals,  both  of  master 
and  slave,  and  condemned  by  the  principles  of  a  sound 
political  economy.  And  as  time  advanced,  and  as  the 
true  character  of  slavery  became  more  manifest,  as  the 
demand  was  made  on  its  behalf,  first  for  an  equality  of 
power  in  the  government,  then  for  predominance,  and 
then  for  unquestioned  and  universal  supremacy,  still  more 
when  the  slaveholding  States,  by  their  own  act,  freed  the 
United  States  from  all  constitutional  obligation  in  the  mat- 
ter, he  felt  that  his  practical  duty  was  largely  changed."^ 
More  and  more  the  slavery  question  became  the  absorb- 
ing theme.  Then,  as  now.  Baptists  were  numerous  in  the 
South,  and  those  at  the  South  who  were  slaveholders,  and 
those  at  the  North  who  sought  to  find  an  excuse  for  slav- 
ery, appealed  to  the  Scriptures  as  a  justification  of  the 
system.  At  the  meeting  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Convention 
at  Bath,  Oct.  4  and  5,  1837,  Rev.  John  Butler  offered  the 
following  resolutions:  ''Resolved,  That  a  being  made  in 
the  image  of  God,  possessing  an  intelligent,  immortal 
spirit,  cannot  be  reduced  to  the  condition  of  mere  prop- 
erty without  doing  great  violence  to  the  authority  and 
laws  of  God  and  committing  the  most  degrading  outrage 

'^  Life  o£  Francis  Wayland,  Vol.  1,  p.  391.  Sept.  4,  1861,  at  the  first  commencement  at 
Brown  University  after  the  opening  of  the  Civil  War,  ex- President  Wayland  was  one  of 
the  after-dinner  speakers.  In  his  address,  having  said,  "It  is  a  time  for  a  man  to  act," 
and  having  referred  to  the  men  of  the  college  already  in  the  service  of  the  country  as  "its 
first  fruits,"  Dr.  Wayland  said:  "If  these  strong  hands  can  sustain  the  stars  and 
stripes,  if  these  breasts  can  form  a  rampai-t  to  put  far  away  the  wickedness  of  slavery 
(slavery!  slavery!  what  man  was  born  to  be  a  slave!),  let  us  form  an  impregnable  bar- 
rier against  the  waves  of  rebellion,  of  sedition,  of  the  most  infamous  conspiracy  ever 
known,  and  let  us  say,  'thus  far  shalt  thou  go  and  no  further.' "  Few^  who  listened  that 
day  to  the  venerable  ex-president  can  ever  forget  the  scene,  as,  raising  those  "strong 
hands,"  and  crossing  his  arms  upon  his  massive  breast,  he  poured  forth  these  burning 
words. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  311 

upon  the  light  of  nature.  Resolved,  That  those  ministers 
and  religious  bodies  who  have  published  to  the  world  that 
the  Bible  justifies  the  system  of  American  slavery  have 
greatly  erred,  and  inflicted  a  grievous  reproach  upon  the 
honor  of  God  and  his  word.  Resolved,  That  it  is  with 
deep  humiliation  and  sorrow  that  this  body  is  obliged  to 
admit  the  fact  that  the  sin  of  slavery  extensively  prevails 
in  the  Christian  church,  and  that  many  of  the  professed 
ministers  of  the  gospel  are  slaveholders,  that  some  of 
them  and  other  church  members  do  actually  buy  and 
sell  their  brethren  and  sisters  in  Christ.  Resolved,  That 
whereas  the  Bible  is  virtually  withheld  from  nearly  one- 
sixth  part  of  the  population  of  this  country,  we  recom- 
mend to  all  our  brethren  that  when  their  hearts  are 
moved  with  compassion  in  view  of  the  perishing  condition 
of  the  heathen  world  that  they  pray  also  for  the  perishing 
slaves  of  our  own  country,  and  that  they  observe  the 
fourth  Monday  evening  in  each  month  as  a  season  of 
prayer  for  the  immediate  and  peaceful  removal  of  this 
evil  from  the  church  and  from  the  world." 

The  Minutes  make  known  the  fact  that  there  was  a 
difference  of  opinion  as  to  the  propriety  of  introducing 
these  resolutions.  This  was  manifest  in  the  discussion 
that  followed.  It  would  be  interesting  to  reproduce  the 
main  features  of  this  discussion  if  the  materials  for  such 
a  reproduction  existed.  When  the  discussion  ended,  the 
vote  was  taken  by  yeas  and  nays,  and  the  result  is 
recorded  in  the  Minutes  as  follows  :  "Yeas— Ballard,  Bar- 
ron, Sibley,  Bradford,  Norton,  Lawrence,  Nutter,  Butler, 
Stevens,  Day,  Newton,  J.  Wilson,  Fogg,  T.  B.  Robin- 
son, M'Master,  S.  Harris,  Stearns.  Nays— Haynes,  D.  T. 
Allen,  Coy,  A.  Wilson,  Miller,  Felch,  Sargent.  Declined 
voting— Starr,  Houghton,  Kalloch,  Millet,  Lincoln.  Not 
present  at  the  time— Case,  Kendall,  L  S.  Smith,  Chism, 
Pilsbury,  Trull,  Drinkwater  and  A.  Harvey."  The  reso- 
lutions, therefore,  were  adopted  by  a  vote  of  seventeen 
to  seven.  Rev,  Adam  Wilson,  one  of  those  who  voted 
against  the  resolutions,  was  the  editor  of  Zion's  Advocate. 


312  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

Doubtless  he  deprecated  the  division  in  the  churches  which 
the  slavery  question  was  effecting,  and  on  this  account, 
while  not  pro-slavery  in  his  views,  placed  himself  with  the 
opposition.  To  the  editor  of  the  Christian  Mirror,  the 
Congregational  paper  in  Maine,  Elijah  P.  Lovejoy,  a  short 
time  before  his  martyrdom,  wrote  :  '  'It  has  been  and  still 
is  a  source  of  great  grief  to  witness  the  course  which  you. 
Brother  Cummings,  have  pursued  on  the  subject  of  slav- 
ery. ...  I  tell  you  plainly  that  you  seem  to  me  not 
at  all  to  have  understood  your  responsibilities  in  relation 
to  the  subject  of  slavery,  or  else  to  have  trifled  with  them 
in  a  manner  truly  awful.  I  have  seen  the  Mirror  once  and 
again  give  the  subject  the  go-by  with  a  dry  joke  or  a  half 
concealed  sarcasm."  No  such  words  could  have  been  used 
by  Mr.  Lovejoy  with  reference  to  the  treatment  of  this 
great  question  in  the  columns  of  the  Advocate.  Adam 
Wilson  was  sound  to  the  core  on  all  great  moral  questions, 
but  he  occupied  a  responsible  position,  and  he  would  allay 
rather  than  provoke  irritation. 

There  is  no  reference  to  the  subject  of  slavery  in  the 
Convention  Minutes  for  1838  and  1839.  It  was  doubtless 
felt  that  the  brethren  had  placed  themselves  on  record, 
and  that  to  return  to  a  discussion  of  the  sin  of  slavery  and 
the  relation  of  the  churches  to  it  would  be  unprofitable 
and  tend  to  division.  But  there  were  those  who  were 
not  satisfied  with  keeping  silence  upon  an  issue  of  such 
■  great  importance,  and  which  had  already  become  a  grow- 
ing political  issue.  The  American  Baptist  Anti-Slavery 
Convention  held  its  first  meeting  ^  in  New  York  April  28, 
29  and  30,  1840.  Rev.  E.  R.  Warren  of  Topsham  and 
Rev.  J.  Gilpatrick  of  Bluehill  were  elected  members  of 
the  executive  committee.  June  17,  1840,  the  Maine  Bap- 
tist Anti-Slavery  Convention  was  organized  at  Belfast. 
Eleven  resolutions  were  passed,  and  these  were  printed  in 
Zion's  Advocate  of  June  24th.  The  Convention  asked  for 
an  "anti-slavery  department  in  Zion's  Advocate,  to  be  con- 

^  Willey's  Anti-Slavery  History,  p.  136. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  313 

ducted  by  some  Baptist  abolitionist."  Prominent  among 
those  who  participated  in  the  dehberations  of  the  Conven- 
tion were  the  following  ministers :  L.  C.  Stevens,  E.  R. 
Warren,  E.  W.  Cressy,  C.  Newton,  D.  Nutter,  T.  B.  Rob- 
inson and  J.  Gilpatrick. 

When  the  Bowdoinham  Association  met  at  Litchfield, 
Sept.  22,  23  and  24,  1840,  the  association  in  a  resolution 
approved  "of  the  doings  of  the  late  National  Convention 
of  Baptists  held  in  New  York,  and  also  of  the  late  Anti- 
Slavery  Convention  of  Baptists  held  at  Belfast  in  this 
State,"  and  recommended  that  the  brethren  attend  when 
any  such  Convention  shall  be  called,  "that  we  may  give 
our  united  and  firm  testimony  against  this  unrighteous  and 
cruel  system." 

The  Maine  Baptist  Anti-Slavery  Convention  was  held  in 
Topsham  Jan.  19  and  20,  1841.  Rev.  J.  Gilpatrick  was 
elected  president,  Rev.  S.  Fogg,  vice  president ;  Rev.  S. 
Adlam,  secretary ;  W.  R.  Prescott,  treasurer,  and  S. 
Adlam,  T.  0.  Lincoln,  W.  R.  Prescott,  D.  Scribner,  T.  B. 
Robinson,  N.  M.  Williams,  E.  R.  Warren,  L.  C.  Stevens 
and  L.  B.  Allen,  standing  committee.  An  address  to  the 
Baptists  of  Maine  was  adopted ;  also  an  address  to  the 
Baptist  churches  in  the  South.  Of  the  two  hundred  and 
fourteen  Baptist  ministers  in  the  State,  one  hundred  and 
eighty,  it  was  claimed,  were  decided  abolitionists.  Reso- 
lutions were  adopted,  and  delegates  to  the  Maine  Anti- 
Slavery  Society  and  to  the  Baptist  National  Anti-Slavery 
Convention  were  appointed.  The  secretary,  in  his  report 
of  the  Convention,  said  "this  was  the  most  important  and 
best  anti-slavery  meeting  ever  held  by  the  denomination 
in  the  State." 

In  the  membership  of  the  churches  the  proportion  of 
abolitionists  was  not  as  large  as  in  the  ministry ;  but  it 
was  large  and  the  feeling  on  both  sides  was  strong.  Rev. 
Joseph  Ricker,  D.  D.,  who  was  familiar  with  the  state  of 
things  in  our  Maine  Baptist  churches  at  that  time,  states 
the  case  thus :   '  'In  most  of  the  individual  churches,  of 


314  HISTORY    OF    THE    BAPTISTS    IN    MAINE. 

whatever  denomination,  the  two  parties  were  represented.^ 
The  consequence  can  easily  be  guessed.  Unseemly  words 
were  spoken,  harsh  epithets  bandied  and  chief  friends 
separated.  In  place  of  harmony  was  discord,  in  place  of 
love,  alienation  if  not  hatred.  Churches  not  a  few  were 
rent  in  twain,  and  if  by  some  favoring  providence  other 
churches  were  not  thus  torn  and  distracted,  the  sweet 
fellowship  of  former  years  was  sadly  marred."^ 

Dr.  Ricker  doubtless  had  especially  in  mind  the  Baptist 
church  in  Augusta,  of  which  he  was  afterward  pastor. 
In  the  membership  of  that  church  were  those  who  held 
very  decided  convictions  with  reference  to  slavery.  Dec. 
2,  1842,  the  following  resolution  was  unanimously  adopted 
by  the  church  :  ''Resolved,  That  this  church  believes  that 
domestic  slavery  is  a  sin  against  God,  that  it  is  at  war 
with  the  dearest  rights  of  man,  and  that  it  is  the  duty  of 
Christians  to  express  their  disapprobation  of  the  system  as 
it  exists  in  this  country,  believing  it  contrary  to  principles 
of  the  Christian  religion  and  of  our  republican  form  of 
government."  But  the  passage  of  this  resolution  evi- 
dently did  not  meet  in  full  the  views  of  some  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  church  with  reference  to  slavery,  and 'other 
resolutions  were  introduced,  discussed  and  laid  upon  the 
table.  At  a  special  meeting  of  the  church,  held  Dec.  18, 
1843,  a  member  of  the  church  presented  the  following  pre- 
amble and  resolution  :  "Whereas  several  members  of  this 
church  having  signified  their  sense  of  grief  with  minis- 
ters and  members  of  slaveholding  churches  on  account  of 
their  continuance  of  slavery,  the  buying  and  selling  of 
human  beings  as  goods  and  chattels,  which  is  a  sin  against 

^Rev.  A.  K.  P.  Small,  D.  D.,  was  a  student  in  the  Yarmouth  Academy  when,  in  1844, 
Rev.  Z.  Bradford,  greatly  beloved  by  his  people,  closed  his  pastorate  with  the  Yarmouth 
Bat>tist  church.  Dr.  Small  says  that,  on  that  last  Sunday,  Mr.  Bradford,  having  read 
the  notices,  paused,  and  then  said,  "Here  is  a  notice,  which  if  I  were  pastor  of  the 
church  I  should  throw  under  the  table,  but  as  I  am  not  your  pastor  now,  I  will  read  it." 
It  was  a  notice  of  an  anti-slavery  prayer  meeting.  As  the  people  were  leaving  the 
house  at  the  close  of  the  sermon.  Dr.  Small  heard  one  of  the  members  of  the  church  say 
to  another,  "Well,  Mr.  Bradford  is  an  excellent  man,  but  I  guess  it  is  about  time  for  him 
to  go." 

'  Personal  Recollections,  p.  59. 


FIRST   CHURCH,    AUGUSTA. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  315 

God  and  humanity ;  and  whereas  these  members  cannot 
without  being  greatly  burdened  with  a  sense  of  wrong 
commune  with  such  at  the  Lord's  table,  or  listen  to  such 
ministers  as  public  teachers  ;  and  whereas  we  do  not  wish 
to  burden  our  own  members  with  their  griefs,  however 
different  some  of  us  may  feel  in  reference  to  the  subject, 
therefore  Resolved,  That  as  a  church  we  will  not  invite 
slaveholding  ministers  to  our  pulpit  or  slaveholders  to  the 
communion  table  of  the  Lord." 

After  a  prolonged  discussion,  when  the  vote  was  taken 
it  was  found  that  thirteen  had  voted  in  the  affirmative  and 
fourteen  in  the  negative.  The  membership  of  the  church, 
as  reported  at  the  association  in  the  preceding  Septem- 
ber, was  one  hundred  and  ninty-three.  On  account  of  the 
failure  of  the  church  to  adopt  the  above  preamble  and 
resolution,  eight  brethren  (including  the  pastor.  Rev.  E. 
R.  Warren,)  and  twenty-four  sisters  left  the  church  and 
organized  the  Second  Baptist  church  in  Augusta.  This 
division  was  the  occasion  of  serious  trouble  in  the  Augusta 
church,  but  a  new  pastor.  Rev.  N.  W.  Williams,  was 
secured,  who  stated  to  the  church  his  position  with  ref- 
erence to  slavery  as  follows:  "1.  I  hold  slavery  to  be 
a  great  political  evil,  and  repugnant  to  the  spirit  of  the 
constitution  of  our  country.  2.  I  believe  it  to  be  con- 
trary to  the  spirit  of  the  gospel  as  a  palpable  violation  of 
the  great  rule  of  doing  unto  others  as  we  would  that 
others  should  do  unto  us  and  therefore  highly  sinful.  3. 
I  hold  it  to  be  the  duty  of  Christians  to  pray  for  the 
extinction  of  slavery  in  every  part  of  the  world.  4.  I 
consider  the  church  bound  to  regard  the  system  of  slavery 
as  they  do  other  sins,  and  in  case  any  brother  of  the 
church  should  become  a  slaveholder  (excepting  such  cases 
as  do  not  from  the  peculiarity  of  circumstances  indicate 
any  approbation  of  the  system) ,  should  desire  admission  to 
the  church  and  profess  to  believe  that  slaverj^  is  a  right- 
eous institution,  and  according  to  the  word  of  God,  we 
could  not  fellowship  such  person  as  worthy  of  church  priv- 
ileges. ' ' 


316  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

At  the  Kennebec  Association,  in  1847,  the  Second  church 
in  Augusta  apphed  for  admission,  but  the  association 
declined  to  receive  the  church  on  the  ground  of  the  non- 
existence of  fellowship  between  the  two  Augusta  churches. 
The  Second  church  maintained  its  organization  and  ser- 
vices a  few  years,  but  with  a  lessening  membership.  Its 
pastor  at  length  resigned  and  the  church  became  extinct. 

Some  of  the  most  active  of  the  opponents  of  slavery  in 
our  Maine  Baptist  churches  were  in  the  Kennebec  Asso- 
ciation. At  the  annual  session  held  in  Bloomfield,  Sept. 
21  and  22,  1842,  one  of  the  resolutions  adopted  was  as  fol- 
lows: "Resolved,  That  among  the  various  objects  deserv- 
ing the  benevolent  support  of  the  Christian  public,  the 
mission  established  in  Canada,  among  the  refugees  from 
slavery,  should  have  its  proper  share."  ^ 

In  the  Convention  Minutes  for  this  year  the  officers 
of  the  Maine  Baptist  Anti-Slavery  Convention  are  given, 
viz.  :  James  Gilpatrick,  Bluehill,  president ;  T.  B.  Robin- 
son, Levant,  vice  president ;  E.  R.  Warren,  Augusta,  sec- 
retary ;  W.  R.  Prescott,  Hallowell,  treasurer.  Standing 
committee,  S.  Adlam,  Wm.  Smith,  L.  C.  Stevens,  N.  M. 
Williams,  E.  W.  Cressy,  Dea.  Z.  Humphrey  G.  Pullen, 
Jona.  Davenport. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Kennebec  Association  at  Mt.  Ver- 
non, Sept.  19  and  20,  1843,  the  church  in  Augusta  asked 
advice  relative  to  the  exclusion  of  slaveholders  from  Bap- 
tist pulpits  and  the  Lord's  table,  and  Brethren  Warren, 
Trask  and  Bailey  were  appointed  to  take  the  matter  into 
consideration.  As  their  report  they  offered  the  following 
resolution  :  *  'That  it  is  the  duty  of  our  churches  to  exclude 
from  their  fellowship  individuals  and  churches  who  are 
guilty  of  the  sin  of  slavery,  as  they  would  for  any  other 
flagrant  immorality."  In  the  earnest  yet  fraternal  discus- 
sion that  followed,  it  was  evident  that  the  resolution  was 
acceptable  only  to  a  small  number  of  those  present.     The 

^  Miss  Fidelia  Coburn,  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Bloomfield,  had  devoted  her 
self  to  missionary  service  among  these  refugees. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  317 

following  resolution  was  finally  proposed  in  its  place,  and 
adopted  with  only  one  negative  vote:  "Resolved,  That 
while  we  would  carefully  discriminate  between  different 
degrees  of  guilt,  we  think  it  is  the  duty  of  the  churches, 
after  faithful,  scriptural  admonition,  to  withdraw  fellow- 
ship from  individuals  and  churches  who  persist  in  the  sin 
of  slavery,  this  withdrawal  being  based  upon  the  same 
reasons  that  exist  in  relation  to  any  other  flagrant  sin." 
At  the  meeting  of  the  American  Baptist  Home  Mission 
Society  in  Philadelphia,  in  1844,  Rev.  S.  Adlam  of  Hallo- 
well  precipitated  a  debate  by  introducing  a  resolution  to 
the  effect  that  slaveholding  should  not  debar  a  minister 
from  appointment  as  a  missionary  of  the  Society.  He  said 
he  put  his  resolution  in  a  negative  form  purposely,  but 
he  and  others  who  were  opposed  to  the  appointment  of 
slaveholding  missionaries  wanted  an  unequivocal  answer 
to  the  question.  Rev.  Dr.  Richard  Fuller  of  South  Caro- 
lina offered  an  amendment,  declaring  any  action  concerning 
slavery  or  anti-slavery  unconstitutional  and  unwise.  Dr. 
Fuller's  amendment  was  adopted  by  a  vote  of  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-three  to  sixty-one.  Immediately,  Rev.  J. 
S.  Maginnis,  formerly  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  church 
in  Portland,  then  professor  in  Hamilton  Theological  Semi- 
nary, New  York,  moved  the  appointment  of  a  committee 
consisting  of  three  from  the  North,  three  from  the  South 
and  three  from  the  West,  together  with  the  chairman,  "to 
take  into  consideration  the  subject  of  an  amicable  dissolu- 
tion of  this  Society,  or  to  report  such  alterations  in  the 
constitution  as  will  admit  of  the  co-operation  of  brethren 
who  cherish  conflicting  views  on  the  subject  of  slavery." 
Among  those  who  engaged  in  the  memorable  debate  in 
connection  with  this  matter  were  Richard  Fuller,  J.  B. 
Jeter,  Nathaniel  Colver,  Spencer  H.  Cone  and  B.  T.  Welch. 
While  the  latter  was  speaking.  Dr.  Fuller  asked,  "What 
would  you  do  if  you  had  the  power?"  "Do?  Do?"  replied 
Dr.  Welch,  in  thrilling  tones,  "Proclaim  liberty  through- 
out all  the  land,  to  all  the  inhabitants  thereof!    That  is 


318  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

what  I  would  do !"    Long  and  uncontrollable  applause  fol- 
lowed this  utterance/ 

In  the  Convention  Minutes  for  1845  occurs  the  first 
record  in  the  Minutes  of  a  meeting  of  the  Maine  Bap- 
tist Anti-Slavery  Convention.  The  meeting  was  held  in 
East  Winthrop  in  connection  with  the  meetings  of  the 
Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Society  and  the  Maine  Baptist 
Convention.  Rev.  Rufus  Chase  was  president  and  Rev. 
E.  Nugent,  secretary.  Among  the  resolutions  adopted 
was  the  following:  "Resolved,  That  we  approve  of  the 
late  decision  of  the  acting  board  of  the  Baptist  Foreign 
Missionary  Convention  on  the  Alabama  resolutions,  and 
regard  it  as  indicative  of  the  advancement  of  sound  anti- 
slavery  views  in  Northern  Baptist  churches.*'  The  ref- 
erence is  to  the  action  of  the  Alabama  Baptist  State 
Convention  which  had  addressed  the  Foreign  Mission 
Board  with  reference  to  the  purpose  it  was  understood  to 
have  formed  discriminating  against  slaveholders  in  the 
making  of  its  appointments.  In  this  action  of  the  Ala- 
bama Convention  was  included  the  following  resolution: 
"That  our  duty  at  this  crisis  requires  us  to  demand  from 
the  proper  authorities  in  all  those  bodies  to  whose  funds 
we  have  contributed,  or  with  whom  we  have  in  any 
way  been  connected,  the  distinct,  explicit  avowal  that 
slaveholders  are  eligible,  and  entitled,  equally  with  non- 
slaveholders,  to  all  the  privileges  and  immunities  of  their 
several  unions,  and  especially  to  receive  any  agency,  mis- 
sion, or  other  appointment,  which  may  run  within  the 
scope  of  their  operations  or  duties."  To  this  action  the 
Foreign  Mission  Board  made  a  dignified  and  conciliatory 
reply,  but  refused  to  recognize  the  right  of  anyone,  slave- 
holder or  non-slaveholder,  to  appointment  to  positions  at 
the  disposal  of  the  board.  The  board  said :  "In  the  thirty 
years  in  which  the  board  has  existed,  no  slaveholder,  to 
our  knowledge,  has  applied  to  be  a  missionary.  And,  as 
we  send  out  no  domestics  or  servants,  such  an  event  as  a 
missionary  taking  slaves  with  him,  were  it  morally  right, 

*  Baptist  Home  Missions  in  North  America.    Jubilee  Volume,  pp.  393,  394. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  319 

could  not,  in  accordance  with  all  our  past  arrangements  or  ^ 
present  plans,  possibly  occur.  If,  however,  anyone  should 
offer  himself  as  a  missionary,  having  slaves,  and  should 
insist  on  retaining  them  as  his  property,  we  could  not 
appoint  him.  One  thing  is  certain,  we  can  never  be  a 
party  to  any  arrangement  which  would  imply  approbation 
of  slavery." 

It  was  this  action  of  the  Foreign  Mission  Board,  repre- 
senting the  Baptists  of  the  North  and  South  in  their 
foreign  mission  work,  that  led  in  1845  to  an  amicable 
arrangement  in  accordance  with  which  the  name  and 
charter  of  the  existing  organization  remained  in  the  hands 
of  the  Northen  Baptists,  though  by  a  change  of  name  it 
became  the  American  Baptist  Missionary  Union,  while  the 
Southern  Baptists  proceeded  to  organize  the  Southern 
Baptist  Convention. 

The  proceedings  at  the  meeting  of  the  Maine  Baptist 
Anti-Slavery  Convention  were  reported  in  connection  with 
the  Minutes  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Convention  and  other 
State  organizations  until  1851.  Evidently  the  movement 
in  the  State  in  opposition  to  slavery  was  gaining  in  strength 
all  the  while.  The  question  now  had  become  a  political 
one,  and  with  each  year  the  ranks  of  the  anti-slavery  party 
received  new  recruits.  At  the  meeting  held  in  Brunswick, 
June  15,  1846,  a  protest  against  slavery  was  adopted,  and 
this  protest  was  signed  by  one  hundred  and  fifty-two  of 
the  Baptist  ministers  in  Maine. 

In  1843,  Rev.  Charles  T.  Torrey,  well  known  in  Maine  on 
account  of  his  anti-slavery  addresses,  went  from  Massa- 
chusetts to  Maryland  as  a  newspaper  reporter.  His 
reports  were  offensive  to  the  pro-slavery  party,  and  on 
various  pretenses  he  was  arrested  and  imprisoned  in  that 
year.  In  1844,  under  the  laws  of  Maryland,  and  also  of 
Virginia,  he  was  arrested  for  aiding  in  the  escape  of  runa- 
way slaves,  and  on  the  perjured  testimony  of  slaveholders, 
as  he  affirmed,  he  was  sentenced  to  six  years'  imprison- 
ment. He  was  placed  in  a  cell,  cold,  damp  and  foul.  His 
health  declined  and  he  died  May  9, 1846.    The  body  of  Mr. 


320  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

'  Torrey  was  brought  to  Boston,  and  the  funeral  service, 
attended  by  an  immense  congregation,  was  held  in  Tre- 
mont  Temple.  This  event  profoundly  stirred  the  hearts 
of  the  people,  and  the  feeling  against  slavery  was  greatly 
intensified.  The  Maine  Baptist  Anti-Slavery  Convention, 
at  its  session  June  15,  1846,  adopted  the  following: 
"Resolved,  That  under  the  circumstances  in  which  the 
family  of  the  late  Rev.  Mr.  Torrey  has  been  placed  by  the 
unrelenting  spirit  of  the  slave  power,  which  has  so  cruelly 
deprived  them  of  a  husband  and  father,  this  Convention 
extends  to  them  its  Christian  sympathy." 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Anti-Slavery  Con- 
vention, held  at  Damariscotta  June  19,  1848,  Rev.  J. 
Ricker,  Rev.  A.  Kalloch  and  Rev.  B.  F.  Shaw  were  made 
a  committee  on  resolutions.  One  of  the  resolutions  they 
presented  was  this:  "Resolved,  That  the  present  indica- 
tions of  Providence  are  such  as  give  reason  to  hope  that 
American  slavery  will  be  soon  and  peacefully  termi- 
nated." This  resolution  led  to  an  animated  discussion,  in 
which  the  following  ministers  participated :  A.  Kalloch, 
S.  Ilsley,  D.  Nutter,  J.  Gilpatrick,  D.  C.  Haynes,  H.  Ken- 
dall, S.  L.  Caldwell,  N.  W.  Williams,  and  J.  T.  Champ- 
lin.  After  discussion,  the  resolution  was  re-committed, 
and  Rev.  J.  Gilpatrick  and  Prof.  Champlin  were  added  to 
the  committee.  Evidently  the  brethren  in  general  did  not 
take  the  committee's  hopeful  view  of  the  speedy  termina- 
tion of  slavery.  The  committee  as  enlarged  presented 
resolutions  which  were  unanimously  adopted.  One  of 
these  was  as  follows :  "Resolved,  That  while  we  ardently 
hope  that  American  slavery  will  terminate  at  no  distant 
day,  we  are  entirely  in  doubt  as  to  the  manner  of  its  aboli- 
tion ;  and  that  we  will  therefore  pray  and  labor  that  it 
may  be  voluntarily  and  peacefully  abolished,  and  that 
slaveholders  may  be  saved  from  the  divine  judgments 
which  have  so  often  fallen  upon  the  oppressors  of  their 
fellow  men." 

With  the  organization  of  new  States  in  the  rapid  devel- 
opment of  the  country  at  this  time,  the  slavery  question 


BAPTIST   CHURCH,    DAMARISCOTTA. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  321 

became  one  of  increasing  political  importance.  Should  the 
new  States  be  free,  or  should  they  be  open  to  the  slave- 
holder with  his  slaves  ?  Then,  in  the  endeavor  to  secure 
a  peaceful  solution  of  the  troublesome  problems  which 
the  slavery  question  had  made  prominent,  came  the  com- 
promise measures.  The  Fugitive  Slave  Law  followed. 
This  aroused  the  people  of  the  North,  and  the  feeling 
against  slavery  was  greatly  intensified  as  efforts  were 
made  by  slaveholders  in  the  South  to  obtain  possession  of 
their  runaway  slaves  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of 
this  law. 

The  Maine  Baptist  Convention  met  in  Bloomfield  June 
17,  18  and  19,  1851.  The  Maine  Baptist  Anti-Slavery  Con- 
vention, which  was  held  in  connection  with  the  Conven- 
tion, evidently  held  a  brief  session.  The  action  to  be 
taken  in  consequence  of  the  passage  of  the  Fugitive  Slave 
Law  was  action  which  the  Convention  evidently  desired  to 
take.  So  rapid  had  been  the  growth  of  the  anti-slavery 
sentiment  in  the  churches  that  even  for  the  sake  of  har- 
mony there  was  no  longer  need  of  a  separate  organization. 
The  anti-slavery  society  accordingly  appointed  a  committee 
consisting  of  Rev.  L.  B.  Allen,  Rev.  F.  Merriam  and  Rev. 
Geo.  Knox  "to  prepare  resolutions  on  the  Fugitive  Slave 
Law  to  present  to  the  Convention."  The  Anti-Slavery 
Convention  then  adjourned,  and  no  further  mention  of  it 
is  to  be  found  in  the  Convention  Minutes  from  that  time. 
In  the  Convention  Rev.  L.  B.  Allen  presented  the  follow- 
ing preamble  and  resolution:  "Whereas,  in  the  judgment 
of  this  Convention,  a  law  of  the  land,  known  as  the  Fugi- 
tive Slave  Law,  does,  by  certain  of  its  requirements,  con- 
travene the  law  of  God,  therefore,  Resolved,  That  we 
earnestly  recommend  to  our  fellow  citizens  first  to  submit 
themselves  to  these  requirements  when  called  to  it,  not  by 
actively  carrying  them  into  effect,  but  by  patiently  endur- 
ing the  consequences  of  non-compliance  with  them,  and 
secondly  to  seek  their  immediate  repeal  by  all  those  meth- 
ods which  Christian  men  and  good  citizens  may,  and  of 
right  ought  to  employ. ' '    The  resolution  was  adopted. 


322  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

When  the  Convention  met  in  Bangor,  June  20,  21  and 
22,  1854,  so  intense  was  the  feeling  in  reference  to  slavery 
that  on  motion  of  Rev.  S.  L.  Caldwell,  pastor  of  the  First 
Baptist  church  in  Bangor,  in  whose  house  of  worship  the 
Convention  met,  a  committee  of  one  from  each  association 
was  appointed  to  present  to  the  Convention  *  'on  Wednes- 
day evening  a  report  on  the  present  grave  aspect  of 
affairs,  induced  by  the  aggressive  movements  of  the  slave 
power."  The  following  were  appointed:  Rev.  R.  E.  Pat- 
tison,  D.  D.,  Rev.  J.  Gilpatrick,  Rev.  S.  A.  Kingsbury, 
Rev.  J.  Keely,  Rev.  R.  Jones,  Rev.  H.  B.  Gower,  Rev.  S. 
Cole,  Rev.  C.  G.  Porter,  Rev.  J.  M.  Wedgwood,  Rev.  A. 
Wilson,  D.  D.,  Rev.  D.  Small,  Rev.  N.  Butler  and  Dea. 
W.  R.  Prescott.  The  meeting  was  held  in  the  Second 
Baptist  church,  which  was  crowded.  Dr.  Pattison,  then 
President  of  Waterville  College,  presented  the  report  of 
the  committee.  This  asserted  the  right  to  personal  lib- 
erty to  be  universal  and  declared  American  slavery  to  be 
wrong  in  principle  and  the  occasion  of  a  vast  amount  of 
oppression  and  cruelty.  It  had  been  supposed  that  in  the 
South  multitudes  disapproved  of  slavery  and  desired  its 
abolition,  but  recent  developments  had  shown  a  concerted 
determination  in  that  part  of  the  country  not  only  to  per- 
petuate slavery  in  the  States  in  which  it  then  existed,  but 
to  extend  its  territory  and  give  it  a  national  character  and 
responsibility.  "This  course  is  rendered  to  us  the  more 
odious  and  oppressive,  that  it  compels  individuals,  con- 
scientiously opposed  to  slavery,  to  aid  in  its  support  under 
heavy  penalties— treating  humanity  as  if  a  crime— giving 
cupidity  and  insult  an  occasion  to  triumph  over  Christian 
conscientiousness.  Against  all  this  we  protest  as  uncalled 
for,  and  as  morally  unjust.  It  is  a  social  and  a  civil 
wrong.  We  protest  against  the  spirit  and  demands  of 
slaveholders  and  against  the  coercive  action  of  the  general 
government."  In  closing  their  report  the  committee  sub- 
mitted several  resolutions.^ 

^Resolved,  That  in  order  to  fulfil  any  constitutional  claims  upon  us   (if  such  claims 
actually  exist)  in  relation  to  the  rendition  of  fugitive  slaves,  the  late  law  of  1850  is  need- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  323 

This  report,  including  resolutions,  was  adopted  "after  a 
protracted  discussion,  during  which  earnest  and  eloquent 
addresses  were  made  by  many  brethren." 

On  the  day  after  the  Convention  adjourned,  the  dele- 
gates from  the  w^estern  part  of  the  State  took  the  steamer 
from  Bangor  to  Portland,  and  on  the  passage  a  meeting 
was  held  on  the  deck  of  the  steamer  for  the  further  dis- 
cussion of  the  slavery  question. 

Events  now  ripened  fast.  May  19  and  20,  1856,  Charles 
Sumner,  Senator  from  Massachusetts,  delivered  in  the 
Senate  of  the  United  States  his  great  speech  on  "The 
Crime  Against  Kansas."  It  was  a  severe  arraignment  of 
the  slave  power,  and  some  passages  in  the  speech  greatly 
incensed  the  members  of  Congress  from  South  Carolina. 
May  22nd,  Preston  S.  Brooks,  a  Representative  from  that 
State,  brutally  assaulted  Senator  Sumner  at  his  desk  in 
the  Senate  chamber,  and  again  the  North  was  inflamed. 
At  the  meeting  of  the  Convention  at  Rockland,  June  17, 
18  and  19,  1856,  Rev.  S.  L.  Caldwell  of  Bangor  presented 
the  report  of  the  committee  on  slavery. 

"Resolved,  That  we.  Baptist  Christians  in  Maine  assem- 
bled in  convention,  take  occasion  again  to  pronounce  our 
unqualified  judgment  upon  American  slavery,  as  evil  in 

leasly  ri^d  and  coercive  ;  and  that  we  as  a  Christian  body  do  pledge  ourselves  not  to  aid 
in  its  execution,  but  if  need  be,  will  peacefully  submit  to  any  penalties  which  may  be 
inflicted  for  withholding  our  assistance  in  an  act  so  repugnant  to  our  best  social  and 
moral  feelings  ;  while  at  the  same  time,  we  will  use  our  most  earnest  endeavors  to  secure 
its  repeal. 

Resolved,  That  we  regard  the  passage  of  the  late  Nebraska  Bill  to  involve  a  violation  of 
a  solemn  compact  entered  into  on  the  part  of  the  South  to  satisfy  the  conscientious 
scruples  of  the  people  of  the  free  States. 

Resolved,  That  all  territories  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  United  States  government 
should,  in  our  judgment,  be  exempt  from  slavery. 

Resolved,  That  although  we  deem  the  publication  of  the  scheme  of  redemption  by  the 
blood  of  Jesus  Christ  to  be  the  supreme  object  of  the  Christian  ministry,  yet  we  do  not 
believe  this  their  only  duty  or  privilege.  They  have  a  right  and  it  may  be  their  duty  to 
vote— to  express  their  opinion  as  other  citizens,  in  private  or  in  public,  on  matters  of 
government,  and  to  exercise  their  private  judgment  also  on  the  duty  of  discussing  in 
the  pulpit  the  subject  of  slavery  as  well  as  other  questions  involving  the  principles  of 
morality. 

Resolved,  That  at  our  next  and  future  elections,  we  pledge  ourselves  to  give  our  suf- 
frages to  no  man,  for  any  office,  who  does  not  publicly  pledge  himself  to  act  in  accordance 
with  the  sentiments  of  these  resolutions. 


324  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

its  character  and  in  its  fruits,  contrary  to  Christian  right- 
eousness and  human  welfare,  a  harm  and  a  shame  to  our 
Christianity  and  our  civilization. 

"Resolved,  That  in  its  enlarging  and  imperious  aggres- 
sions, not  upon  the  race  only  which  it  enslaves,  but  upon 
the  territory,  the  constitution,  the  liberties  of  the  repub- 
lic, its  disturbing  influence  in  all  our  public  affairs,  civil 
and  religious,  we  see  new  and  clearer  developments  of  its 
evil  nature,  growing  worse  continually,  as  well  as  new  and 
stronger  reasons  for  all  righteous  and  effectual  resistance 
to  it. 

"Resolved,  That  while  we  pity  the  slave,  and  in  the 
name  of  Christ  and  humanity  maintain  his  right  to  be 
free,  we  must  also  keep  our  own  freedom  inviolate,  at  all 
hazards ;  and  regarding  the  attack  lately  made  upon  an 
American  Senator  as  no  more  a  personal  outrage  upon  him 
than  a  violence  upon  free  speech  and  guaranteed  rights,  as 
well  as  an  exhibition  of  the  essentially  barbarous  and 
despotic  spirit  of  slavery  itself,  we  here  and  now,  as  Bap- 
tists, who  hold  liberty  as  a  religious  right ;  as  Americans, 
who  have  received  it  as  a  blood-bought  heritage  ;  as  men, 
claiming  it  for  all  mankind— sorrowfully  and  yet  sternly 
resent  and  condemn  this  act. 

"Resolved,  That  in  the  struggle  now  going  on  upon  our 
Western  frontier,  so  far  as  the  issue  is  between  slavery 
and  freedom,  we  have  no  question  where  our  sympathies 
should  be ;  and  while  we  deprecate  the  armed  violence  of 
the  conflict,  we  feel  it  to  be  our  duty  to  encourage  and 
help  those  who  seek  to  exclude  human  bondage  from  the 
land  once  and  forever  consecrated  to  freedom. 

"Resolved,  That  we  believe  the  pulpit  is  required  to 
give  greater  prominence  to  this  great  wrong,  so  far  as  it 
has  relation  to  Christ's  truth,  and  obstructs  Christ's  king- 
dom, but  we  more  especially  and  earnestly  would  call 
upon  our  Christian  brethren,  and  join  with  them  in  look- 
ing to  the  righteous  Lord  on  high,  who  is  the  strength  and 
confidence  of  his  people,  praying  that  he  would  bring  out 
of  these  dark  and  troubled  events,  not  only  peace,  but  the 


REV.    GEORGE   KNOX. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  325 

deliverance  of  the  bondman,  the  establishment  of  justice, 
the  progress  of  his  kingdom  and  the  glory  of  his  name." 

In  these  resolutions  the  Baptists  of  Maine  found  a  most 
fitting  expression  to  the  views  now  dominant  in  all  of  the 
churches  in  the  State.  It  was  seen  that  events  were  mov- 
ing rapidly  toward  a  crisis.  Slavery  was  to  be  destroyed, 
but  how?  No  one  could  tell,  and  prayer  daily  was  made 
that  in  some  way  the  country  might  be  peaceably  deliv- 
ered from  impending  peril  and  the  oppressed  go  free. 

Then,  in  1861,  came  the  great  Civil  War.  The  issue, 
which  had  become  more  and  more  clearly  defined  in  the 
passing  years,  was  to  be  fought  out  on  many  a  bloody  field. 
The  Maine  Baptist  Convention  met  at  Bath  June  18, 19  and 
20,  1861.  Secession,  which  had  been  threatened  and  was 
now  an  accomplished  fact,  was  denounced.  Among  the 
resolutions  adopted  were  these: 

"Resolved,  That  in  the  present  struggle  for  the  main- 
tenance of  authority  legitimately  exercised  by  those  who 
have  been  constitutionally  elected  to  administer  the  gov- 
ernment of  this  nation,  our  rulers  shall  have  our  cordial 
support  and  co-operation,  and  that  by  all  proper  Christian 
methods  we  will  encourage  those  who  gird  on  their  armor 
for  the  defence  of  the  flag  which  we  all  love  and  beneath 
whose  folds  we  hope  to  die. 

'  'Resolved,  That  on  this  occasion  we  pledge  our  sympa- 
thies to  the  beloved  brother  who  one  year  ago  presided 
over  the  deliberations  of  this  body,  and  who  has  left  tem- 
porarily the  people  of  his  charge,  to  devote  himself  espe- 
cially to  the  spiritual  welfare  of  our  soldiers  by  becoming 
chaplain  ^  of  the  First  Regiment  of  the  military  force  of 
this  State,  and  that  we  will  constantly  and  earnestly  pray 
for  the  success  of  the  cause  to  which  he  and  they  are 

'  The  reference  in  the  last  resolution  was  to  Rev.  George  Knox,  pastor  of  the  Baptist 
church  in  Brunswick.  The  First  Maine  was  a  three  months'  regiment,  but  at  the  expira- 
tion of  its  period  of  service  most  of  the  officers  and  men  re-enlisted  as  the  Tenth  Maine, 
Knox  among  them.  On  being  mustered  out  with  this  regriment,  Mr.  Knox  accepted  a 
call  to  the  pastorate  of  the  First  Baptist  church  in  Lawrence,  Mass.  But  when  the 
Twenty-ninth  Maine  wtis  organized,  largely  from  the  officers  and  men  of  the  Tenth 
Maine,  the  services  of  Mr.  Knox  were  again  requested.  He  at  length  yielded,  and 
reached  his  regiment  in  season  to  be  present  at  Sheridan's  battle  in  the  Valley,  Oct.  19, 


326  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

engaged,  that  the  institutions,  both  civil  and  religious, 
transmitted  to  us  by  our  fathers,  may  be  sustained,  and 
peace  and  order  may  soon  be  restored." 

It  was  felt  that  in  some  way  in  the  course  of  the  conflict 
slavery  would  be  destroyed.  This  was  the  hope  of  the 
great  body  of  those  who  enlisted.  It  was  believed  that  a 
true  and  lasting  peace  could  not  be  effected  without  the 
overthrow  of  an  institution  that  had  so  long  disturbed  the 
peace  of  the  country.  In  entering  upon  the  duties  of  his 
great  ofliice,  President  Lincoln  hastened  to  make  strong 
assurances  of  the  purpose  of  the  government  to  abide 
faithfully  by  all  the  compromises  of  the  constitution  relat- 
ing to  slavery  ;  and  for  a  while,  in  all  his  military  orders, 
he  endeavored  to  provide  for  such  a  prosecution  of  the 
war  as  would  avoid  any  disturbance  of  the  relations 
between  master  and  slave  then  existing  under  State  laws. 
But  it  soon  became  evident  that  such  a  policy  could  not  be 
pursued.  March  2,  1862,  President  Lincoln  recommended 
to  Congress  the  adoption  of  a  resolution  to  this  effect, 
"that  the  United  States,  in  order  to  co-operate  with  any 
State  which  may  adopt  gradual  abolition  of  slavery,  give 
to  such  State  pecuniary  aid,  to  be  used  by  such  State  in 
its  discretion,  to  compensate  it  for  the  inconvenience,  pub- 
lic and  private,  produced  by  such  change  of  system." 
The  resolution  was  adopted,  but  produced  no  effect.  Aug. 
22,  1862,  Mr.  Lincoln,  in  a  telegram  to  Horace  Greeley, 
said :  *  'What  I  do  about  slavery  and  the  colored  race,  I 
do  because  I  believe  it  helps  to  save  this  Union,  and  what 
I  forbear,  I  forbear  because  I  do  not  believe  it  would  help 
to  save  the  Union.  I  shall  do  less  whenever  I  shall  believe 
what  I  am  doing  hurts  the  cause,  and  I  shall  do  more 
whenever  I  believe  doing  more  will  help  the  cause."  The 
time  for  doing  more  soon  came.  The  battle  of  Antietam 
occurred  September  17th.     Mr.  Lincoln  issued  a  proclama- 

1864  On  Sunday,  Oct.  30,  he  preached  from  John  6 :  68.  Monday  morning,  Oct.  31,  as 
he  was  mounting  his  horse  for  some  duty  with  other  officers,  the  horse  became  restless, 
reared,  and  fell  back  upon  Chaplain  Knox,  causing  injuries  from  which  he  died  at  the 
close  of  the  day.  Dr.  Ricker,  in  his  Personal  Recollections,  pp.  207-220,  has  paid  a  tender 
tribute  to  his  memory. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  327 

tion  announcing  that  on  the  first  day  of  January,  1863,  all 
persons  held  as  slaves  within  any  State  or  designated  part 
of  a  State,  the  people  whereof  should  then  be  in  rebellion, 
should  be  then,  thenceforward,  and  forever  free.  His  for- 
mal proclamation  of  emancipation  was  issued  Jan.  1,  1863. 
The  Fugitive  Slave  Law  was  repealed  June  23,  1864,  and 
on  Jan.  31,  1865,  the  final  vote  was  taken  in  Congress  sub- 
mitting to  the  States  for  their  approval  and  ratification 
the  following  amendment  to  the  constitution  :  '  'Art.  XIII. 
Neither  slavery  nor  involuntary  servitude,  except  as  a 
punishment  for  crime,  whereof  the  party  shall  have  been 
duly  convicted,  shall  exist  within  the  United  States  or 
any  place  subject  to  their  jurisdiction."  This  amendment 
received  the  approval  of  twenty-seven  of  the  thirty-six 
States,  and  was  consequently  adopted.  Thus  the  long 
struggle  for  the  overthrow  of  slavery  in  the  United  States 
ended.  Heartfelt  thanksgiving  to  God  went  up  from 
praying  hearts  all  over  the  North.  Bowdoinham  Asso- 
ciation took  the  following  action  at  its  meeting  in  Hallo- 
well,  Sept.  12,  13  and  14,  1865 :  "Believing  that  the  great 
Ruler  of  nations  has  been  leading  us  by  a  pillar  of  fire 
through  our  nation's  dark  conflict  with  the  slaveholder's 
rebellion,  we  would  receive  the  return  of  peace  and  the 
freedom  of  the  slave  as  his  good  gifts  ;  and  we  pray  for 
the  blessing  of  Christ  to  rest  upon  our  returning  soldiers, 
and  his  consoling  sympathy  to  abide  with  the  stricken 
homes  to  which  the  loved  ones  return  not.  And  now  we 
recognize  our  present  duty  as  a  Christian  nation  to  lift 
up  a  long  crushed,  but  now  emancipated  race,  and  secure 
to  them  the  rights  and  privileges  of  citizens.  In  their 
enfranchisement  we  see  the  security  of  our  free  institu- 
tions ;  in  the  education  of  the  southern  masses  the  hope  of 
permanent  peace  and  prosperity." 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Convention. 

The  reorganization  of  the  missionary  work  of  the  Bap- 
tists of  Maine  was  accomplished  at  Rockland  June  18, 
1867.  The  Maine  Baptist  Convention  held  a  meeting  in 
the  First  Baptist  church  at  nine  o'clock  A.  M.  At  this 
meeting  the  act  of  incorporation,^  granted  by  the  Legisla- 
ture of  Maine  Feb.  6th,  1867,  was  read  and  accepted.     It 

*  An  Act  to  unite  the  Maine  Baptist  Convention  and  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary 
Society. 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives,  in  Legislature  assembled,  as 
follows  : 

Section  1.  The  members  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Convention  are  hereby  constituted 
members  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Society,  and  the  members  of  the  Maine  Bap- 
tist Missionary  Society  are  hereby  constituted  members  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Conven- 
tion ;  and  the  said  two  corporations  are  hereby  made  one  corporate  body,  by  the  name  of 
the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Convention,  and  all  property,  powers,  franchises,  and 
privileges  granted,  or  acquired,  under  authority  of  the  respective  acts  incorporating  said 
bodies  corporate,  shall  be  held  and  enjoyed  by  said  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Conven- 
tion, in  as  full  and  ample  a  manner  as  the  same  were  held  and  enjoyed  by  either,  or  both, 
of  said  original  bodies. 

Sec.  2.  Said  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Convention  shall  be  subject  to  all  the  duties 
and  liabilities  of  said  original  bodies  corporate,  and  the  general  laws  of  this  State,  to  the 
same  extent  that  said  original  bodies  corporate  would  have  been  if  this  act  had  not  been 
passed. 

Sec.  3.  All  acts  of  said  united  corporations,  and  of  each  of  said  corporations  compos- 
ing the  same,  in  whatever  relates  to  the  union  thereof,  are  hereby  confirmed,  and  ren- 
dered valid  and  effectual. 

Sec.  4.  All  parts  of  the  act  incorporating  said  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Society, 
passed  February  8th,  1823,  and  of  the  act  incorporating  said  Maine  Baptist  Convention, 
approved  March  16th,  1830,  inconsistent  with  the  provisions  of  this  act,  are  hereby 
repealed. 

Sec.  5.  Both  of  the  corporations  to  be  united  shall  continue  their  present  organiza- 
tions until  this  act  shall  have  been  accepted  by  each,  at  a  legal  meeting.  If  so  accepted, 
the  first  meeting  of  the  new  corporation  shall  be  held  at  the  meeting-house  of  the  First 
Baptist  church  in  Rockland,  on  the  third  Tuesday  of  June,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one 
thousand  eight  hundred  and  sixty-seven,  at  eleven  o'clock  in  the  forenoon,  at  which 
meeting  the  President  and  Secretary  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Convention,  or  in  the  absence 
of  either,  the  corresponding  officers  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Society,  shall  offici- 
ate as  President  and  Secretary  of  the  new  corporation,  until  a  President  and  Secretary 
shall  be  chosen  in  their  stead ;  after  which,  the  new  corporation  may  choose  all  other 
proper  officers,  and  exercise  all  the  powers  conferred  upon  it  by  law. 


^ 

H^   1  iijlli  1 . 

m^/ 

^n^ 

Y 

1 

1^ 

N.    M.    WOOD,    D.    D. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  329 

was  also  voted  to  transfer  all  books,  papers,  archives  and 
reports  belonging  to  the  Convention,  also  all  unfinished 
business,  to  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Convention. 
The  Convention  then  adjourned  without  day. 

The  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Society  met  at  the  same 
place  as  the  Convention  at  ten  o'clock  A.  M.,  June  18, 
1867.  The  act  of  incorporation  granted  by  the  Legisla- 
ture of  Maine  Feb.  6,  1867,  entitled  "An  Act  to  Unite 
the  Maine  Baptist  Convention  and  the  Maine  Baptist  Mis- 
sionary Society,"  was  read  and  accepted.  The  Society 
also  voted  to  transfer  all  its  books,  papers,  archives  and 
reports,  together  with  all  unfinished  business,  to  the 
Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Convention. 

The  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Convention  then  con- 
vened. Rev.  William  H.  Shailer,  D.  D. ,  late  president  of 
the  Maine  Baptist  Convention,  in  the  chair.  The  consti- 
tution, prepared  the  previous  year,  and  accepted  by  the 
Convention  and  the  Missionary  Society,  was  read  and 
adopted,  and  a  committee  of  one  from  each  association 
was  appointed  to  nominate  officers.  Rev.  W.  H.  Shailer, 
D.  D.,  was  elected  president,  Dea.  J.  C.  White,  vice  presi- 
dent, Rev.  N.  M.  Wood,  corresponding  secretary.  Rev.  N. 
J.  Wheeler,  recording  secretary  and  Prof.  John  B.  Foster, 
treasurer.     A  board  of  trustees  was  also  elected. 

Previous  to  this  time  the  associations  in  the  State  had 
published  their  own  Minutes.  At  this  first  meeting  of 
the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Convention,  it  was  recom- 
mended that  the  several  associations  dispense  with  pub- 
lishing their  Minutes  as  heretofore,  and  that  the  most 
important  items  of  interest  to  the  amount  of  two  pages  or 
less,  as  furnished  by  the  associations,  should  he  published 
with  the  Convention  Minutes.  This  recommendation  was 
adopted  by  the  several  associations. 

The  last  report  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Soci- 
ety showed  appropriations  to  the  churches  amounting  to 
$3,038.75,  and  invested  funds  amounting  to  $2,000 ;  and 
$131.26  in  the  treasury.  The  Society  had  one  general  mis- 
sionary agent.  Rev.  S.  G.  Sargent.     An  effort  had  been 


330  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

made  during  the  year,  in  accordance  with  the  instructions 
of  the  Society,  to  secure  a  financial  secretary,  but  this  was 
unsuccessful.  "The  general  impression  seems  more  lately 
to  have  prevailed  in  the  board  and  among  brethren  con- 
sulted," says  the  annual  report  presented  at  Rockland, 
*'that  such  an  appointment  would  not  be  the  most  judi- 
cious step  in  advance,  nor  fully  satisfactory  to  the  friends 
of  the  Society.  The  division  of  the  State  into  two,  or  four 
districts,  and  the  appointment  of  a  general  missionary  in 
each,  who  should  do  the  same  general  work  which  our 
present  missionary  agent  is  attempting  for  the  whole 
State,  and  adding  thereto  much  direct  missionary  labor  in 
the  feeble  churches  and  opening  fields,  has  been  suggested 
as  a  plan  promising  more  good.  Four  men,  including  our 
present  agent,  could  thus  be  employed  without  increasing 
our  expenditures  much  over  $2,000,  and  a  large  part  of 
this  could  be  collected  on  the  fields  where  the  missionaries 
would  bestow  their  chief  labor." 

At  the  meeting  of  the  board  held  at  Auburn,  in  August, 
the  general  superintendence  of  missionary  work  and  the 
collection  of  funds  were  committed  to  the  corresponding 
secretary,  assisted  by  an  advisory  committee  of  three.  It 
was  also  decided  to  divide  the  State  into  three  mission- 
ary districts,  the  territory  west  of  the  Kennebec  river  to 
be  designated  the  Western  District,  the  territory  lying 
between  the  Kennebec  and  Penobscot  rivers  to  be  desig- 
nated the  Central  District,  and  the  territory  lying  east  of 
the  Penobscot  river  to  be  designated  the  Eastern  District. 
Rev.  J.  M.  Follett  was  appointed  missionary  for  the  East- 
ern District,  Rev.  S.  G.  Sargent  for  the  Central  District, 
and  Rev.  M.  J.  Kelley  for  the  Western  District,  each 
at  a  salary  of  $700  per  annum,  exclusive  of  incidental 
expenses.  Messrs.  Kelley  and  Follett  declined  to  accept 
their  appointments.  Rev.  N.  M.  Wood,  D.  D.,  the  effi- 
cient corresponding  secretary  of  the  Society,  resigned  his 
office  in  consequence  of  his  removal  from  the  State,  and 
the  year  failed  to  show  the  advance  in  missionary  work 
that  was  anticipated. 


STATE  missionaries: 

S.    G.    SARGENT.  J-    R-    BOWLER. 

C.    E.    HARDEN. 


M.    J.    KELLEY. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  331 

In  the  following  year,  however,  with  Rev.  I.  Leland  as 
corresponding  secretary,  the  services  of  three  general  mis- 
sionaries, Rev.  S.  G.  Sargent,  Rev.  J.  R.  Bowler,  and  Rev. 
M.  J.  Kelley,  were  secured,  and  the  appropriations  to 
these  and  the  mission  churches  amounted  to  $5,971.32. 
The  ordinary  contributions  were  increased,  and  at  the 
close  of  the  year  there  was  a  larger  cash  balance  in  the 
treasury  than  at  the  close  of  the  previous  year. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Convention  at  Oldtown,  June  15 
and  16,  1869,  Rev.  Joseph  Ricker  was  elected  correspond- 
ing secretary.  He  was  at  that  time  pastor  of  the  church 
in  Augusta,  and  was  engaged  in  rebuilding  its  house  of 
worship,  an  enterprise  into  which  he  had  entered  with 
characteristic  devotion,  and  which  he  carried  forward  to 
successful  completion.  Dr.  Ricker  had  served  the  Massa- 
chusetts Baptist  Convention  as  its  secretary  from  1858  to 
1865,  and  he  was  not  only  familiar  with  State  mission 
work,  but  he  had  a  large  acquaintance  with  the  churches 
in  the  State.  The  annual  report  of  the  board  in  1870  was 
written  by  Dr.  Ricker.  Very  forcibly  were  the  claims  of 
the  needy  country  and  city  churches  presented,  also  the 
claims  of  the  more  newly  settled  portions  of  the  State. 
The  work  of  the  board  in  its  many-sided  activities  was 
clearly  stated,  and  the  report  closed  with  the  remark  that 
the  sum  of  $10,000  per  annum  was  none  too  large  to  meet 
the  pressing  needs  that  would  come  before  the  board  dur- 
ing the  coming  year. 

But  the  office  of  corresponding  secretary  carried  with  it 
no  executive  duties.  At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Con- 
vention held  at  West  Waterville,  June  20  and  21,  1871, 
resolutions  adopted  by  the  board  were  presented,  suggest- 
ing that  the  time  had  come  when  a  secretary  should  be 
employed  to  devote  his  whole  time  and  energies  to  the 
great  work  and  increasing  demands  of  the  Convention. 
These  resolutions  were  fully  discussed,  and  the  matter  was 
referred  to  the  board  with  power  to  employ  a  secretary 
if  such  action  was  deemed  expedient.  At  the  meeting  of 
the  board,  in  August  following,  the  proposed  action  was 


332  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

taken,  and  Jan.  1,  1872,  Dr.  Ricker,  as  corresponding 
secretary,  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  Convention's  work. 

Concerning  the  policy  of  thus  placing  the  work  of  the 
Convention  under  the  control  of  a  single  man  and  making 
him  responsible  for  its  faithful  and  efficient  oversight, 
Dr.  Ricker,  in  his  Personal  Recollections,  says:  "The 
advantages  of  such  a  policy  had  long  been  apparent  to  not 
a  few,  but  the  difficulties  in  the  way  of  its  adoption  were 
many,— some  of  them  real  and  some  imaginary.  Among 
the  former  was  the  fact  that  an  experiment  of  the  kind 
had  once  been  tried  for  a  few  months  with  the  result  of 
failure,  which,  of  course,  caused  the  shadow  to  move 
backward  upon  the  dial  by  many  degrees.  Among  the 
latter  was  the  question  of  expense.  To  support  such  an 
official,  it  was  plausibly  argued,  would  take  just  so  much 
out  of  the  treasury,  and  hence  nearly  deprive  the  needy 
churches  of  the  little  aid  they  were  already  receiving, 
besides  making  it  impossible  to  keep  even  one  general 
missionary  in  the  field.  That  these  apprehensions  were 
quite  groundless  was  shown  by  the  event.  "^ 

The  funded  property  of  the  Convention  at  that  time 
amounted  to  $4,400,  having  been  increased  during  the 
year  by  a  bequest  of  Thomas  Hammond  of  Portland, 
amounting  to  $2,000.  Manifestly  added  funds  must  be 
secured.  The  ordinary  contributions  of  the  churches, 
as  given  in  the  treasurer's  report  in  1871,  amounted  to 
$5,325.77,  while  there  was  expended  in  aid  of  mission- 
aries $3,475.08,  and  for  salaries  and  expenses  of  mission- 
ary agents  $2,431.99.  Dr.  Ricker  at  once  devoted  himself 
to  the  work  of  increasing  the  current  income  of  the  Con- 
vention. "There  must  be  ten  or  twelve  brethren  in  the 
State,"  he  said,  "who  would  cheerfully  consent  to  pledge 
one  hundred  dollars  each,  annually  for  five  years,  and 
thus  provide  for  the  extra  expense  of  the  secretaryship." 
In  a  short  time  Dr.  Ricker  had  upon  his  subscription  book 
the  names  of  Moses  Giddings,  Arad  Thompson,   Chapin 

*  Personal  Recollections,  p.  111. 


BYRON  GREENOUGH. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  333 

Humphrey  and  J.  C.  White  of  Bangor,  Abner  Coburn  of 
Skowhegan,  David  Scribner  of  Topsham,  B.  D.  Metcalf 
and  Austin  Hall  of  Damariscotta,  S.  Kelley,  of  Calais, 
T.  B.  Robinson  of  Hartland,  and  H.  M.  Hart  of  Portland. 
The  latter  said  characteristically,  "I  like  to  train  in  such  a 
company."  In  this  company  Dr.  Ricker  himself  took  a 
place. 

It  was  during  this  year,  also,  that  by  the  bequest  of 
Byron  Greenough,  of  Portland,  property  in  that  city,  of  the 
estimated  value  of  $20,000,  came  into  the  possession  of 
the*  Convention.  This  property  yielded  an  annual  income 
even  larger  than  the  united  special  contributions  which 
Dr.  Ricker  had  secured.  "So  noble  a  charity,"  wrote  Dr. 
Ricker  in  the  annual  report  of  the  board  for  1872,  '  'calls 
for  devout  thanksgiving  to  God."  Such  devout  thanks- 
giving there  was,  and  the  summons  to  increased  activity, 
with  larger  financial  resources,  went  forth  to  all  the 
churches  in  the  State.  "We  are  just  beginning,"  wrote 
Dr.  Ricker,  "to  catch  a  glimpse,  as  it  were,  of  the  nature 
and  importance  of  the  work  we  have  in  hand."  He  him- 
self had  that  glimpse,  and  as  he  went  here  and  there,  talk- 
ing with  individuals  and  speaking  in  churches,  he  made 
others  see  what  he  saw.  In  the  year  that  followed  over 
eight  thousand  dollars  found  their  way  into  the  treasury  of 
the  Convention  through  the  ordinary  channels,  that  is,  in 
the  form  of  rents,  interest  and  contributions  by  churches 
and  individuals,  the  latter  alone  amounting  to  $6,389.74, 
while  the  funded  property  of  the  Convention  now  amounted 
to  $6,100. 

The  semi-centennial  of  the  Convention  was  held  June 
16,  17  and  18,  1874,  at  East  Winthrop,  the  birthplace  of 
the  Convention.  An  historical  discourse  was  delivered  by 
Rev.  W.  H.  Shailer,  D.  D.,  of  Portland,  and  a  paper  in 
memory  of  the  fathers  in  the  Baptist  ministry  in  Maine 
was  read  by  Rev.  C.  G.  Porter  of  Bangor.  Not  only  was 
the  half  century's  work  of  the  Convention  reviewed,  but 
Mr.  Porter's  paper  recalled  the  pioneers  in  Baptist  mis- 


334  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

sionary  work  in  Maine,— Case,  Potter,  Tripp,  Kendall, 
Snow,  Boardman,  and  many  others,  who  laid  the  founda- 
tions of  so  many  of  our  Maine  Baptist  churches. 

But  the  time  was  not  wholly  spent  in  a  review  of  the 
past.  In  the  annual  report  of  the  board,  after  a  reference 
to  the  work  accomplished  by  the  fathers.  Dr.  Ricker  said  : 
*  'We  are  to  fill  up  the  measure  of  their  service,  and  if  need 
be,  of  their  sufferings  also.  The  seed  scattered  so  widely 
by  them  should  be  scattered  still  more  widely  by  us.  The 
sickle  that  fell  from  their  hands  at  the  summons  of  death, 
we  should  eagerly  grasp  and  wield  early  and  late,  in 
God's  great  harvest  field.  As  a  Convention  of  churches 
we  should  henceforth  address  ourselves  to  this  work  as 
never  before.  We  look  back  to-day  only  that  we  may  find 
more  impelling  motives  for  looking  forward.  It  is  in  the 
prospect  and  not  in  the  retrospect  that  our  chief  interests 
should  center." 

At  this  jubilee  meeting  it  was  suggested  that  the  mem- 
bers of  the  churches,  besides  their  annual  contributions  for 
Convention  work,  should  make  a  thank-offering  in  the 
form  of  one-dollar  gifts  to  the  Convention  treasury.  By 
vote  of  the  Convention  a  call  for  such  an  offering  was 
made,  and  for  many  months,  nearly  every  mail  brought 
these  offerings  to  the  secretary,  until  they  amounted  to 
about  seven  hundred  dollars.  These  offerings,  says  Dr. 
Ricker,  '  'called  attention  as  rarely  before,  to  the  great  and 
comprehensive  work  which  the  Convention  had  in  hand. 
They  quickened  the  denominational  pulse,  infused  courage 
and  hope  into  the  rank  and  file  of  the  membership,  and 
gave  life,  and  motion,  and  effectiveness,  to  much  of  the 
power  that  had  hitherto  been  lying  dormant  and  appar- 
ently dead."' 

At  this  session  of  the  Convention,  at  the  suggestion  of 
Rev.  F.  T.  Hazlewood  of  Bangor,  it  was  made  a  consti- 
tutional provision  that  suitable  time  should  be  given  at 
each  annual  meeting  of  the  Convention  for  the  recognition 
of  brethren  in  the  ministry  who  had  in  the  interim  of  the 

*  Personal  Recollections,  p.  114. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  335 

meetings  come  into  the  State  to  labor.  Since  that  time, 
the  president  of  the  Convention,  or  some  one  designated 
by  him,  has  extended  to  such  brethren  the  hand  of  fellow- 
ship as  a  token  of  cordial  welcome. 

Larger  additions  to  the  churches  were  reported  in  this 
jubilee  year  than  in  any  previous  year  since  the  great 
revival  of  1858,  the  number  being  774. 

Rev.  S.  G.  Sargent,  after  sixteen  years'  continuous  ser- 
vice as  a  general  missionary,  had  now  resigned,  greatly  to 
the  regret  of  the  members  of  the  board,  but  of  necessity 
as  his  bodily  strength,  he  found,  was  no  longer  equal  to 
the  hardships  of  the  position.  Rev.  J.  R.  Bowler,  how- 
ever, still  continued  in  the  service,  and  Rev.  M.  Dunbar 
took  Mr.  Sargent's  place.  In  1875,  Mr.  Bowler,  after  six 
years  of  faithful  service,  resigned,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Rev.  C.  M.  Herring.  In  1876,  even  larger  additions  to  the 
churches  were  reported  than  in  1874,  namely  903.  But  as 
the  work  increased  larger  and  larger  outlay  was  required, 
an  ever-growing  demand  creating  an  ever-growing  sup- 
ply of  funds.  "What  then?"  asked  Dr.  Ricker  in  the 
report  of  the  board  in  1876;  "Shall  we  go  in  debt?  If 
any  are  bold  enough  to  think  this,  let  them  speak.  Sure 
we  are  that  none  of  any  considerable  age,  or  any  consider- 
able knowledge  of  the  past,  will  be  of  the  number.  Debt 
was  once  the  bane  and  well-nigh  the  grave  of  this  Con- 
vention. Let  that  suffice.  One  other  expedient  remains, 
and  in  its  presence  the  problem  forthwith  becomes  very 
simple.  More  money !— this  would  at  once  set  the  whole 
question  at  rest." 

But  already  the  health  of  Dr.  Ricker  had  become 
impaired  in  his  unremitting  efforts  to  procure  needed 
funds.  At  the  meeting  of  the  Convention  at  Hallo  well, 
June  20-26,  1876,  he  said  he  had  hoped  to  be  able  to  go 
on  with  his  work,  but  he  had  come  to  the  conviction  that 
after  another  month  of  labor,  in  all  probability,  he  would 
be  obliged  to  take  a  prolonged  rest.  The  Convention 
expressed  its  deep  sympathy  for  the  secretary  in  his  pres- 
ent condition  of  feeble  health,  and  requested  him  to  make 


336  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

such  use  of  his  time  as  he  should  consider  best  calculated 
to  restore  him  to  sound  health  and  active  labor.  Accord- 
ingly, August  1,  1876,  Dr.  Ricker  laid  aside  the  duties  of 
his  office,  and  at  his  request,  and  by  a  vote  of  the  board. 
Rev.  Henry  S.  Burrage,  the  recording  secretary  of  the 
Convention,  became  assistant  corresponding  secretary.  It 
was  thought  that  after  a  few  months  Dr.  Ricker  would 
be  able  to  resume  his  labors,  but  added  relief  from  all 
official  care,  it  was  seen,  was  a  necessity,  and  the  assist- 
ant corresponding  secretary  supplied  his  place  during  the 
remainder  of  the  Convention  year,  attending  to  the  cleri- 
cal work  of  the  position  and  preparing  the  annual  report. 
But  Dr.  Ri«ker's  enforced  absence  during  the  year  was 
easily  discoverable  in  the  lessening  income  of  the  Conven- 
tion. The  assistant  corresponding  secretary  could  not  visit 
the  churches,  and  thus  personally  stimulate  the  gifts  of 
their  members.  The  contributions  and  appropriations  for 
the  ten  years  since  the  union  of  the  Convention  and  Mis- 
sionary Society  had  been  as  follows  : 


Contributions  of  Churches 

Amount  of 

and  Individuals. 

Total  Receipts. 

Appropriations. 

1866, 

$2,874.78 

$3,108.01 

$3,860.37 

1867, 

3,719.01 

3,876.72 

3,829.15 

1868, 

4,053.73 

4,232.14 

3,720.84 

1869, 

4,664.20 

5,848.98 

5,277.17 

1870, 

5,394.22 

5,701.72 

5,577.10 

1871, 

5,325.77 

17,589.31 

6,023.02 

1872, 

5,970.10 

7,510.65 

6,692.66 

1873, 

6,389.74 

29,271.41 

8,267.58 

1874, 

6,537.71 

7,961.67 

7,795.51 

1875, 

6,044.06 

89,308.85 

8,007.21 

1876, 

5,123.16 

*10,520.41 

7,840.69 

1877, 

4,020.64 

67,918.74 

8,764.14 

While  the  appropriations  in  1876-1877,  therefore,  had  been 
larger  than  in  any  previous  year,  the  contributions  had 
fallen  far  short  of  the  Convention's  needs. 

^  Including  T.  Hammond's  legacy  of  $2,000. 

'  Including  Dea.  B.  Greenough's  legacy  of  $1,000. 

^  Including  jubilee  offerings  and  legacies  amounting  to  about  $2,000. 

*  Including  Mrs.  Eliza  Marshall's  legacy  of  $2,000  and  $1,000  in  trust. 

°  Including  $1,115.19  of  refunded  taxes. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE,  337 

But  Dr.  Ricker's  health  was  at  length  in  a  measure 
restored,  and  July  1,  1877,  he  again  took  up  the  task 
which  he  had  reluctantly  been  compelled  to  relinquish. 
The  one-hundred-dollar  subscriptions,  which  had  been  so 
helpful  in  the  preceding  five  years,  had  with  one  or  two 
exceptions  been  fully  paid,  but  owing  to  the  darkening 
clouds  in  the  financial  sky  could  not  be  renewed.  More- 
over, there  were  no  bequests  in  near  prospect  to  relieve 
the  painful  pressure.  "It  was  a  time  to  try  men's  souls, 
and  the  furnace  was  very  hot,"  wrote  Dr.  Ricker.  Yet 
when  the  year  had  closed,  it  was  found  that  the  contribu- 
tions of  churches  and  individuals  exceeded  those  of  the 
previous  year  by  about  $800,  amounting  to  $4,912.22. 

Rev.  M.  Dunbar,  who  for  several  years  had  served  the 
Convention  as  a  general  missionary,  resigned  in  December, 
1876,  but  Missionary  Bowler  continued  his  efficient  labors, 
and  Aug.  29,  1876,  Rev.  C.  E.  Harden  was  appointed  a 
general  missionary,  entering  upon  his  duties  October  1st. 
With  these  efficient  helpers  the  missionary  work  of  the 
Convention  was  faithfully  prosecuted,  and  when  in  1878-9 
Missionary  Bowler  was  compelled  to  withdraw  from  the 
service  for  several  months  on  account  of  ill  health,  Rev. 
N.  D.  Curtis  was  made  a  general  missionary.  But  the 
contributions  of  the  churches  had  fallen  to  $3,832.75  in 
1878-9  against  $4,912.22  in  1877-8.  This  was  largely  due 
undoubtedly  to  the  financial  distress  of  the  time.  It 
became  necessary  during  the  year  to  reduce  the  salaries  of 
the  general  missionaries  one  hundred  dollars  per  annum, 
and  at  the  request  of  the  secretary  his  salary  was  reduced 
by  a  like  amount.  The  work  of  retrenchment  was  carried 
further,  and  the  appropriations  to  the  mission  churches 
were  diminished  thirty  per  cent,  in  the  aggregate.  But 
the  heart  of  the  secretary  did  not  fail  in  the  presence 
of  discouragements.  He  believed  that  the  skies  would 
brighten.  "There  must  be  no  staying  of  hands,  no  fal- 
tering of  feet,  no  cooling  of  ardor,"  wrote  Dr.  Ricker. 
"It  is  a  task  of  towering  magnitude  that  challenges  our 
endeavors.     No  nobler  or  more  honorable  work  was  ever 

23 


338  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

assigned  to  any  people,"  and  with  hearty,  courageous 
words  he  summoned  his  brethren  to  a  stronger  faith  and 
a  more  united  endeavor  in  the  effort  to  fill  the  Lord's 
treasury,  making  it  equal  in  its  resources  to  every  worthy 
demand  made  upon  it. 

In  the  succeeding  year,  however,  the  contributions  from 
the  churches  were  only  slightly  increased,  while  two  of  the 
general  missionaries,  Messrs.  Curtis  and  Harden,  entered 
upon  the  work  of  the  pastorate.  But  the  work  was  still 
pressed,  especially  through  the  mission  churches.  New 
houses  of  worship  were  built,  and  others  were  remodeled. 
An  era  of  parsonage  building  and  of  debt  raising  opened. 
A  few  generous  bequests  were  reported.  *  'God  be  thanked 
that  our  churches  are  every  year  rising  to  higher  and  yet 
higher  planes  of  Christian  benevolence  and  activity," 
wrote  Dr.  Ricker  in  the  report  of  the  board  presented  in 
1882. 

In  1884,  the  Convention  for  the  first  time  held  its  annual 
meeting  in  Aroostook  County.  This  afforded  a  favorable 
opportunity  for  a  review  of  the  work  of  the  Convention  in 
that  region,  commencing  with  the  labors  of  Rev.  R.  C. 
Spaulding  and  wife,  who  with  faith  and  courage,  laboring 
for  a  score  of  years  and  more,  laid  the  foundations  of  our 
earliest  churches  there.  Prior  to  1862,  there  were  only 
two  Baptist  churches  in  Aroostook  County.  In  1884,  there 
were  sixteen  churches,  with  an  aggregate  membership  of 
668.  Nine  houses  of  worship  and  five  parsonages  had 
been  erected.  Six  of  the  churches  had  settled  pastors, 
and  most  of  the  others  were  favored  with  such  temporary 
supplies  as  were  possible  to  them. 

Manifestly  only  added  means  were  necessary  in  order  to 
a  more  successful  prosecution  of  this  work.  But  in  the 
Convention  year  1883-4,  the  ordinary  contributions  from 
the  churches  were  only  $2,944.18,  and  in  the  year  1884-5, 
$2,986.75.  But  larger  resources  were  at  hand.  The  event 
of  this  last  year  was  the  munificent  gift  of  ex-Gov.  Abner 
Coburn,  who  died  Jan.  4,  1885,  and  who,  "out  of  his  great 
love  for  our  churches,"  as  Dr.  Ricker  said,  "and  in  token 
of  his  sense  of  their  value  to  the  State  and  the  world," 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  339 

set  apart  in  his  will  the  sum  of  $100,000  for  the  work  of 
the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Convention.  Other  denomi- 
national items  in  his  will  were  these  :  American  Baptist 
Home  Mission  Society,  $200,000 ;  American  Baptist  Mis- 
sionary Union,  $100,000 ;  Baptist  church  and  society  in 
Skowhegan,  $18,000.  Dr.  Ricker,  who  was  consulted  by 
Governor  Coburn  when  he  was  considering  the  provisions 
of  his  will,  tells  us  that  at  first  the  Governor  proposed  giv- 
ing $50,000  to  the  Convention,  but  that  upon  reflection 
he  perceived  that  the  annual  income  of  that  sum  would 
not  be  equal  to  his  annual  donations,  and  so  he  doubled 
the  amount.  "A  gift  of  such  extraordinary  magnitude," 
wrote  Dr.  Ricker,  in  the  annual  report  of  the  board  for 
1885,  '  'and  under  such  circumstances,  calls  for  devout  and 
ardent  gratitude  to  him  who  moved  the  heart  of  this  man 
of  wealth  to  an  act  so  noble  and  princely.  A  Baptist 
by  conviction  as  well  as  early  training,  a  Christian  also, 
but  without  membership  in  a  Christian  church,  it  is  plain 
that  he  pondered  long  and  anxiously  as  to  how  his  great 
wealth  could  be  made  to  tell  the  most  effectually  upon  the 
good  of  his  fellow  men.  To  him  the  question  was  one  of 
supreme  moment.  With  a  wise  and  discriminating  fore- 
cast he  balanced  and  adjusted  the  many  differing  though 
not  antagonistic  claims,  and  embodied  the  net  result  in  his 
last  will  and  testament,  an  instrument  of  characteristic 
brevity  and  simplicity." 

But  Dr.  Ricker  saw  clearly  that  this  most  generous 
bequest  made  by  Governor  Coburn  might  prove  harm- 
ful rather  than  beneficial.  If  treated  as  an  excuse  for 
diminished  effort  and  more  meagre  contributions,  he  said, 
it  would  arrest  all  healthy  growth,  paralyze  all  healthy 
action,  and  dry  up  or  make  stagnant  all  the  currents 
of  spiritual  life  in  the  churches ;  and  the  churches  were 
warned  against  any  such  fatal  mistake.  It  was  an 
encouraging  fact  in  the  next  annual  report  of  the  Con- 
vention that  the  ordinary  contributions  of  the  churches 
were  increased  from  $2,986.75  in  1885  to  $3,929.22  in  1886. 
Evidently  the  warning  of  the  secretary  was  heeded. 

Notice  of  the  receipt  of  Governor  Cobum's  gift  is  men- 


340  fflSTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

tioned  in  the  treasurer's  report  for  1887.  Greatly  enlarged 
resources  were  now  available,  and  the  year  that  followed, 
in  the  breadth  and  vigor  of  its  activities,  was  without  a 
parallel  in  the  history  of  the  Convention.  "The  policy  of 
the  board,"  wrote  Dr.  Ricker,  at  the  close  of  the  year, 
"has  been  in  harmony  with  the  universally  recognized  law 
of  business,  that  capital  rightly  used  is  better  than  capital 
hoarded."  In  accordance  with  his  suggestion,  it  was 
decided  that  a  part  of  the  Coburn  legacy  should  be  used 
in  enlarging  the  Convention's  general  missionary  force, 
in  planting  churches  in  important,  growing  communities 
where  Baptist  churches  were  not  found,  and  in  enlarging 
and  strengthening  the  work  in  old  fields,  in  which  for  the 
lack  of  means  such  work  had  hitherto  been  impossible. 
But  this  was  only  the  beginning  of  such  activity.  It  is 
true  there  were  some  who  were  of  the  opinion  that  only 
the  income  of  the  Convention's  enlarged  means  should  be 
used.  But  in  general  the  brethren  were  in  agreement 
with  Dr.  Ricker,  that  the  maintenance  of  a  large  perma- 
nent fund  by  the  Convention  would  divert  the  attention  of 
the  churches  to  other  channels  of  denominational  activity, 
and  so  diminish  interest  in  the  Convention's  work.  Every- 
where the  work  of  improvement  was  in  evidence.  In  1888, 
in  the  annual  report  of  the  board,  reference  was  made  to 
the  new  houses  of  worship  erected  at  Bar  Harbor,  Smyrna, 
Foxcroft  and  Dover,  and  to  others  in  process  of  construc- 
tion at  Saccarappa,  Sanford,  Milo,  Yarmouth,  Owl's  Head 
and  Gardiner ;  while  at  Mechanic  Falls,  Forest  City  and 
Rockport  repairs  of  the  most  thorough  and  tasteful  char- 
acter had  been  made  and  dedicatory  services  held.  Par- 
sonages, also,  had  been  erected  in  some  places.  Moreover 
the  missionary  force  had  been  greatly  strengthened.  In 
1887,  it  consisted  of  two  workers  ;  now  there  were  seven. 
While  new  fields  in  hopeful  numbers  and  of  much  prom- 
ise were  brought  under  cultivation,  old  fields  were  not 
neglected.  Seventy-one  churches  received  aid  that  year 
from  the  Convention  treasury.  The  report  of  the  treas- 
urer showed  that  during  the  Convention  year  1887-8,  the 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  341 

appropriations  in  aid  of  missions  amounted  to  $5,860.03, 
for  salaries  and  expenses  of  secretaries  and  missionaries, 
to  $3,905.29,  while  there  were  special  grants  for  church 
edifices  amounting  to  $29,175;  and  in  that  year  there 
was  drawn  from  the  permanent  fund  $30,800.28,  so  that 
the  permanent  fund  which  Sept.  1,  1887,  amounted  to 
$117,702.72,  amounted  Sept.  1,  1888,  to  $86,902.44.  In 
closing  the  annual  report  of  the  board.  Dr.  Ricker  found 
no  occasion  for  discouragement  because  of  this  large  out- 
lay. "The  year  now  under  review,"  he  said,  "has  been 
the  best  the  Convention  has  ever  seen.  Why  should  not 
the  next  year  be  still  better  ?  It  is  a  goodly  land  that  lies 
just  before  us.  Shall  we  turn  back  then  into  the  wilder- 
ness ?  Who  says  it  ?  Who  dares  think  it  ?  It  is  no  time 
for  half-hearted  counsels  or  coward  fear.  Now,  if  ever, 
the  Calebs  and  Joshuas  should  be  heard  and  heeded.  For 
such,  neither  walled  cities  nor  sons  of  Anak  have  any 
terror.  Our  duty  is  plain.  We  cannot  mistake  the  voice 
that  bids  us  go  forward.  With  prompt  and  cheerful  step, 
then,  let  us  go  up  and  possess  the  land,  for  we  are  able." 

These  ringing  words  were  the  words  of  a  trusted  leader, 
and  they  found  a  response  in  many  hearts  all  over  the 
State.  The  year  that  followed  was  Dr.  Ricker's  last  year 
of  service  as  secretary  of  the  Convention.  Under  his 
wise,  aggressive  direction  the  advance  movement  contin- 
ued. Indeed,  in  activity  it  outstripped  its  immediate  pred- 
ecessor. Dr.  Ricker's  own  summary  of  the  work  was  as 
follows  :  "In  the  matter  of  expenditure,  whether  of  money 
or  labor,  it  is  without  a  parallel  in  the  Convention's  his- 
tory. The  broad  field  was  never  before  better  worked, 
nor  with  better  promise  of  cheering  returns."  According 
to  the  treasurer's  report,  there  were  appropriated  during 
the  year  in  aid  of  missions  $6,683.62,  for  salaries  and 
expenses  of  secretaries  and  missionaries,  $6,361.62,  and 
for  special  grants  for  church  buildings  $29,490 ;  and  the 
permanent  fund  was  reduced  to  $59,693.42. 

In  withdrawing  at  this  time  from  the  active  service  in 
connection  with  the  secretaryship,  to  which  he  had  devoted 


342  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

twenty  years  of  his  busy  life,  Dr.  Ricker,  in  the  annual 
report  of  the  board,  reviewed  the  work  accomplished. 
Into  that  work  had  entered  his  prayers,  his  hopes,  his 
efforts.  The  success  achieved  had  been  largely  his  suc- 
cess, and  it  was  an  inspiring  record  which  he  laid  before 
his  brethren.  "At  the  commencement  of  the  period  now 
under  review,"  he  said,  **the  permanent  fund  amounted 
to  no  more  than  $2,000.  This  sum,  however,  was  grad- 
ually increased  by  donations  and  legacies  until,  in  1886, 
it  was  reported  at  $21,402,06.  If  now  to  this  there  be 
added  the  real  estate  devised  to  the  Convention  by  the 
late  Dea.  Byron  Greenough  of  Portland,  and  valued  at 
$20,000,  it  would  swell  it  to  $41,402.06,  showing  the  hand- 
some increase  of  nearly  $40,000  in  seventeen  years.  But 
a  year  later,  the  treasury  was  in  receipt  of  a  legacy 
which  dwarfed  all  preceding  bestowments.  Ex-Governor 
Coburn's  great  gift  of  $100,000  then  became  available, 
and  more  than  trebled  both  the  resources  and  the  respon- 
sibilities of  the  Convention.  .  .  .  The  ordinary  con- 
tributions from  individuals  and  churches  during  the  period 
in  question  make  an  aggregate  of  about  $90,000,  or  an 
average  of  $4,500  per  year.  The  total  additions,  by  leg- 
acies and  otherwise,  to  the  invested  funds  in  the  same 
period  (inclusive  of  real  estate  in  Portland)  have  been,  in 
round  numbers,  $140,000.  The  average  annual  expendi- 
ture for  ordinary  uses  may  be  set  down  at  about  $9,000, 
while  the  total  amount  of  special  appropriations  cannot 
have  been  less  than  $70,000."  But  Dr.  Ricker  was  already 
feeling  the  infirmities  of  age,  and  he  wisely  asked  to  be 
relieved  of  the  burden  he  had  so  long  and  so  heroically 
borne.  "To  many  of  us,"  he  said,  in  the  closing  words  of 
the  report,  "the  supreme  moment  is  just  at  hand.  If  we 
are  truly  waiting  for  it,  we  shall  soon  hear  the  award, 
sweeter  by  far  than  the  music  of  the  spheres,  'Well  done, 
good  and  faithful  servant,  enter  ye  into  the  joy  of  your 
Lord.' " ^  After  the  acceptance  of  the  report,  the  Conven- 
tion took  fitting  action  with  reference  to  Dr.  Ricker' s  long 

'  Close  of  "the  report  of  the  board  presented  at  Bar  Harbor,  Oct.  1,  1889. 


JOSEI-Il    KICKKH,    I).    D. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  343 

and  faithful  service.    It  only  remained  for  Dr.  Ricker  to 

write  his  "Personal  Recollections,"  in  which  he  rehearsed 
the  events  with  which  he  had  been  so  long  connected,  and 
give  his  estimate  of  some  of  his  most  valued  co-workers, 
and  then,  having  faithfully  served  his  generation  by  the 
will  of  God,  he  entered  into  the  eternal  rest  Sept.  4,  1897. 
That  his  was  the  welcome,  "Well  done!"  no  one  can  doubt. 

Rev.  Albert  T.  Dunn,  D.  D.,  who  for  several  years  had 
served  the  Free  St.  Baptist  church,  Portland,  as  its  pastor, 
was  made  Dr.  Ricker's  successor.  He  had  shown  a  deep 
interest  in  the  work  of  the  Convention,  and  by  those  who 
knew  him  best  was  believed  to  possess  just  those  qualifica- 
tions for  the  secretaryship  which  seemed  to  give  promise 
of  a  successful  administration. 

Already  it  had  been  found  necessary  to  check  the  out- 
flow from  the  treasury,  and  at  the  meeting  of  the  Conven- 
tion at  Bar  Harbor,  in  1889,  at  which  Dr.  Ricker  resigned, 
the  board  voted  that  the  permanent  fund  should  not  be 
reduced  below  $40,000.  The  board  also  limited  its  cur- 
rent expenses  to  its  current  income.  The  new  secretary 
entered  upon  his  work,  accordingly,  under  somewhat  dis- 
couraging circumstances,  inasmuch  as  it  was  found  nec- 
essary to  make  a  reduction  of  twenty  per  cent,  in  the 
appropriations  to  the  churches.  During  the  first  year  of 
the  new  secretary's  service,  there  was  a  falling  off  in  the 
ordinary  receipts,  and  there  was  a  necessary  reduction  in 
the  ordinary  expenditures.  But  Dr.  Dunn  was  confident 
that  from  the  seed  recently  sown  an  abundant  harvest 
would  in  due  time  be  gathered.  In  the  first  annual  report 
of  the  board  after  he  became  secretary,  he  called  atten- 
tion to  the  fact  that  while  the  Convention  had  in  recent 
years  appropriated  a  generous  sum  in  the  prosecution  of 
its  work  in  securing  permanent  improvements  here  and 
there  in  the  State,  a  much  larger  sum  had  come  from  the 
people,  who  had  been  encouraged  and  even  stimulated  to 
give  by  the  action  of  the  Convention,  and  presented  the 
following  table : 


344  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 


Bangor,  2d, 

Bar  Harbor, 

Brunswick, 

Canton, 

Caribou, 

Damariscotta  Mills, 

Dexter, 

Dover  and  Foxcroft, 

Enfield, 

Fairfield, 

Farmington, 

Forest  City, 

Gardiner, 

Great  Works, 

Hallowell, 

Harpswell, 

Hartland, 

Hebron, 

Hodgdon, 

Houlton,  < 

Jefferson,  2d, 

Kennebunkport, 

Lewiston, 

Ludlow, 

Mechanic  Falls, 

Milo, 

Monson, 

Nobleboro,  1st, 

Norway, 

Oldto'wm, 

Owl's  Head, 

Paris,  South, 

Penobscot, 

Presque  Isle, 

Rockport, 

Saccarappa, 

Sanford, 

Skowhegan  (Bethany), 

Smyrna, 

Waterboro,  South, 

Waterville,  French  chapel, 

Wayne, 

Winter  Harbor, 

Yarmouth, 

$65,685.00  $102,565.11  $12,042.75  $180,292.86 


Convention. 

Field. 

Outside. 

Total 

$  800.00 

$  3,000.00 

$ 

$  3,800.00 

5,900.00 

500.00 

1,596.00 

7,996.00 

3,500.00 

2,359.00 

220.00 

6,079.00 

1,000.00 

531.07 

1,531.07 

150.00 

500.00 

50.00 

700.00 

150.00 

700.00 

250.00 

1,100.00 

600.00 

1,207.00 

1,807.00 

200.00 

5,600.00 

200.00 

6,000.00 

150.00 

Iii250.00 

400.00 

500.00 

2,200.00 

50.00 

2,750.00 

400.00 

2,400.00 

3,000.00 

5,800.00 

175.00 

1,350.00 

1,525.00 

9,000.00 

3,744.60 

12,744.60 

600.00 

600.00 

200.00 

1,400.00 

700.00 

1,072.00 

1,772.00 

600.00 

2,015.00 

75.00 

2,690.00 

350.00 

400.00 

750.00 

600.00 

670.00 

1,270.00 

150.00 

700.00 

850.00 

200.00 

4,100.00 

200.00 

4,500.00 

400. OQ 

1,906.00 

360.00 

2,666.00 

150.00 

1,050.00 

1,200.00 

4,500.00 

2,500.00 

7,000.00 

100.00 

869.00 

149.00 

1,118.00 

1,765.00 

1,900.00 

175.00 

3,840.00 

1,500.00 

2,600.00 

300.00 

4,400.00 

600.00 

750.00 

250.00 

1,600.00 

200.00 

2,145.00 

525.00 

2,870.00 

2,000.00 

821.00 

134.00 

2,955.00 

775.00 

3,225.00 

75.00 

4,075.00 

150.00 

1,700.00 

300.00 

2,150.00 

500.00 

7,000.00 

500.00 

8,000.00 

2,600.00 

2,400.00 

600.00 

5,600.00 

800.00 

900.00 

1,700.00 

1,000.00 

4,000.00 

5,000.00 

9,500.00 

416.44 

558.75 

10,475.19 

3,500.00 

5,000.00 

8,500.00 

3,000.00 

17,937.00 

300.00 

21,237.00 

150.00 

1,275.00 

15.00 

1,575.00 

1,900.00 

1,900.00 

700.00 

4,500.00 

,   200.00 

2,500.00 

75.00 

2,775.00 

270.00 

765.00 

1,035.00 

400.00 

1,000.00 

50.00 

1,450.00 

4,000.00 

4,107.00 

1,000.00 

9,107.00 

HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  345 

These  statistics  showed  that  forty-four  churches  had 
been  aided  by  the  Convention  in  building  and  repairing 
meeting-houses  and  parsonages  to  the  amount  of  $65,685, 
while  the  churches  themselves  had  raised  for  the  same 
purposes  $102,565.11,  and  that  $12,042.75  had  been  col- 
lected from  other  sources  exclusive  of  the  Convention 
treasury,  making  a  total  of  $114,607.86  secured  because 
of  the  Convention's  aid.  Neither  the  courage  of  the  sec- 
retary nor  of  the  brethren  with  whom  he  was  associated 
in  State  mission  work  was  in  any  way  shaken,  there- 
fore, because  of  present  diminished  resources.  The  outlay 
had  been  made  in  accordance  with  a  wise  policy,  it  was 
believed,  and  it  only  remained  for  those  upon  whom  the 
burden  of  administration  now  rested  to  press  forward 
with  the  same  prayer  and  hope  and  effort  as  in  the  past. 

And  this  was  done.  The  secretary  commenced  at  once 
to  put  himself  in  touch  with  the  churches.  Evangelistic  in 
spirit,  ready  at  any  and  at  all  times  to  serve  the  churches, 
he  sought  to  be  helpful  wherever  he  went,  and  more  and 
more  he  infused  the  same  spirit  into  the  mission  churches. 
He  was  here  and  there  and  everywhere.  The  finances 
were  not  forgotten.  In  all  possible  ways  he  urged  the 
claims  of  the  Convention,  while  at  the  same  time  he  was 
just  as  ready  to  urge  the  claims  of  any  other  organization 
which  had  for  its  aim  the  good  of  men  and  the  glory  of 
God. 

In  the  annual  report  of  the  board  for  1891,  Dr.  Dunn 
suggested  that  the  detail  work  of  the  board  be  commit- 
ted to  an  executive  committee,  "this  committee  to  be  so 
selected  as  to  represent  all  parts  of  the  State,  and  selected 
with  the  understanding  that  each  was  to  inform  himself 
as  to  his  particular  district,  and  be  able  to  present  the 
facts  at  each  stated  meeting  of  the  committee,"  the  mem- 
bers of  the  committee  to  have  their  traveling  expenses 
borne  by  the  Convention.  A  resolution  embodying  this 
suggestion  was  adopted  by  the  Convention,  and  the  busi- 
ness, which  up  to  this  time  had  been  transacted  by  the 
members  of  the  board,  was  now  entrusted  to  an  executive 


346  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

committee  of  nine,  to  which  the  officers  of  the  Convention 
were  added.  The  first  meeting  of  the  committee  was 
held  Dec.  1,  1901,  and  was  organized  by  the  choice  of  Rev. 
W.  H.  Spencer  as  chairman  and  Rev.  C.  V.  Hanson  as 
secretary. 

Another  recommendation  made  by  the  secretary,  in  the 
report  of  the  board  in  1891,  had  reference  to  a  re-arrange- 
ment of  dates  for  holding  the  associational  meetings.  The 
secretary  desired  to  attend  all  of  these  meetings,  and  the 
proposed  re-arrangement  would  enable  him  to  do  this. 
The  Convention  accordingly  recommended  to  the  associa" 
tions  that  they  hold  their  meetings  in  such  succession  as 
to  enable  the  secretary,  and  representatives  of  other  mis- 
sionary organizations,  to  visit  them  all  each  year. 

Still  another  recommendation  had  reference  to  the 
enlargement  of  the  Sunday-school  work  of  the  denomi- 
nation in  the  State,  and  involved  the  appointment  of  a 
Sunday-school  missionary  or  secretary,  who  should  make 
it  his  special  work  to  visit  the  Sunday-schools,  arrange 
for  and  conduct  Sunday-school  institutes  in  different  parts 
of  the  State,  and  in  every  way  in  his  power  stimulate  and 
strengthen  true  ideas  of  Sunday-school  work.  This  rec- 
ommendation also  was  adopted  by  the  Convention.  The 
man  whom  the  secretary  had  in  mind  for  this  place  was 
Rev.  G.  W.  Hinckley,  who  was  then  engaged  in  laying  the 
foundations  of  his  work  for  boys  at  East  Fairfield,  and  Mr. 
Hinckley  received  the  appointment.  But  not  long  after 
he  entered  upon  his  new  duties,  his  rapidly-growing  work 
at  Good  Will  Farm  occupied  his  attention  to  such  an  extent 
that  he  was  compelled  to  resign,  much  to  the  regret  of  all 
the  friends  of  Baptist  Sunday-school  work  in  Maine,  and 
the  vacancy  was  not  filled. 

The  act  incorporating  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Soci- 
ety, passed  by  the  Legislature  of  Maine  Feb.  8,  1823,  pro- 
vided for  a  "common  seal. "  So  did  the  act  incorporating 
the  Maine  Baptist  Convention,  approved  March  16,  1830. 
When  these  two  organizations  were  united  under  the  name 
of  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Convention  by  an  act  of 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  347 

the  Legislature  approved  Feb.  6,  1867,  it  was  provided  that 
"all  property,  powers,  franchises  and  privileges,  granted 
or  acquired,  under  authority  of  the  respective  acts  incor- 
porating said  bodies  corporate,  shall  be  held  and  enjoyed 
by  said  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Convention,  in  as  full 
and  ample  a  manner  as  the  same  were  held  and  enjoyed 
by  either,  or  both,  of  said  original  bodies."  The  earlier 
organization  seems  to  have  had  no  use  for  a  seal ;  certainly 
none  was  provided.  But  it  was  otherwise  at  the  present 
time,  and  in  some  business  transactions  in  connection  with 
the  invested  funds  of  the  Convention  a  seal  was  required. 
Accordingly  the  trustees  of  the  Convention,  in  the  autumn 
of  1891,  authorized  Hon.  Percival  Bonney  and  the  record- 
ing secretary  of  the  Convention,  Rev.  H.  S.  Burrage, 
D.  D. ,  to  procure  a  seal.  A  design  was  suggested  by  the 
recording  secretary,  and  a  drawing  of  this  design,  made 
by  Mr.  John  Calvin  Stevens  of  Portland,  was  accepted  as 
the  seal  of  the  Convention,  and  has  since  been  in  use. 

That  something  might  be  done  for  the  Sunday-schools, 
Secretary  Dunn  suggested,  in  the  next  annual  report  of 
the  Board,  the  holding  of  from  twelve  to  twenty  Sunday- 
school  institutes  in  different  parts  of  the  State,  under  the 
direction  of  a  competent  leader.  Ten  such  institutes  were 
held  in  June,  1902,  at  the  following  places  :  Oakland,  Lew- 
iston.  South  Waterboro,  Saco,  Thomaston,  Milltown,  Cari- 
bou, Dover,  Bluehill  and  Harrington. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Convention  at  Waterville,  Oct. 
4  and  5,  1892,  the  executive  committee  was  enlarged  so 
as  to  consist  of  one  member  from  each  association  to  be 
named  by  the  associations,  but  subject  to  the  approval  of 
the  board.  Rev.  E.  C.  Whittemore  was  made  the  secre- 
tary of  the  committee  and  has  served  in  this  office  from 
that  time  to  the  present. 

At  this  meeting  of  the  Convention,  Prof.  John  B.  Foster, 
who  for  twenty-nine  years  had  served  the  Convention  as 
its  treasurer,  asked  to  be  relieved,  but  by  a  vote  of  the 
Convention  he  was  requested  to  serve  an  added  year,  and 
this  he  consented  to  do.     At  the  meeting  held  in  Auburn, 


348  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

Oct.  3  and  4,  1893,  the  resignation  of  Prof.  Foster  was 
accepted,  and  a  minute  was  spread  upon  the  records  recog- 
nizing his  long  and  faithful  services.  Mr.  C.  Fred.  Morse 
of  Portland  was  made  Prof.  Foster's  successor. 

The  churches,  however,  were  not  furnishing  the  amount 
of  money  needed  for  the  prosecution  of  the  work  of  the 
Convention  on  its  enlarged  scale  of  operations,  and  at  the 
meeting  in  Waterville,  in  1892,  it  was  voted  that  at  least 
$6,000  should  be  secured  during  the  year  for  the  mission- 
ary work  of  the  Convention.  The  executive  committee 
also  was  instructed  to  make  an  equitable  apportionment  of 
this  amount  among  the  associations.  This  apportionment 
was  made  as  follows :  Aroostook,  $600 ;  Bowdoinham,  $600 ; 
Damariscotta,  $450 ;  Hancock,  $500 ;  Kennebec,  $500 ;  Lin- 
coln, $775;  Oxford,  $200;  Penobscot,  $800;  Piscataquis, 
$150 ;  Cumberland,  $800 ;  Waldo,  $75  ;  Washington,  $200 ; 
York,  $350.  It  was  not  a  favorable  time  for  the  introduc- 
tion of  such  a  scheme.  This  was  the  year  of  the  Cen- 
tenary Fund  movement,  made  by  the  American  Baptist 
Missionary  Union,  in  connection  with  which  one  hundred 
and  ninty-six  of  the  Baptist  churches  in  Maine  gave  more 
than  $14,000  for  work  in  foreign  mission  fields.  This 
was  a  period  also  of  financial  stringency  throughout  the 
country.  It  was  accordingly  necessary,  as  in  previous 
years,  to  draw  on  the  permanent  funds  of  the  Conven- 
tion, the  amount  in  1892-3  being  $6,833.45.  But  $5,900 
were  required  for  purposes  outside  of  the  ordinary  annual 
expenses,  this  large  draft  on  the  permanent  fund  being 
required  to  meet  other  calls  than  those  of  the  work  of  the 
year. 

But  in  1893  and  1894,  even  a  less  sum  came  into  the  Con- 
vention treasury  from  the  contributions  of  the  churches, 
the  amount  in  1893  being  $4,168.39,  and  in  1894,  $3,828.66. 
Yet  while,  in  this  latter  year,  the  treasurer  of  the  Conven- 
tion paid  out  $9,466.37  for  current  expenses,  this  amount 
was  only  $240.88  in  excess  of  the  sum  available  for  the 
work  from  all  sources. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  349 

Meanwhile  the  missionary  work  of  the  Convention 
received  the  unremitting  attention  of  the  secretary.  Rev. 
C.  E.  Young,  who  left  the  pastorate  for  this  service,  gave 
his  attention  to  Aroostook  County,  Rev.  D.  C.  Bixby  to 
Penobscot  County  and  lay  missionary  W.  H.  Rice  to  Han- 
cock County.  Work  among  the  French  at  Lewiston  was 
carried  on  in  connection  with  the  American  Baptist  Home 
Mission  Society.  The  same  missionary  service  was  con- 
tinued in  1893-4,  except  that  Rev.  D.  C.  Bixby  devoted 
only  four  months  to  the  work.  But  in  1894-5,  in  addition 
to  missionaries  Young  and  Rice,  Rev.  N.  Hunt  was  added 
to  the  force,  and  for  ten  months  evangelist  J.  W.  Hatch 
and  wife  gave  themselves  to  earnest,  whole-hearted  ser- 
vice among  the  churches.  Rev.  E.  Leger  spent  eleven 
months  in  work  in  behalf  of  the  French  in  Lewiston, 
Biddeford  and  Skowhegan.  The  excess  of  expenditures 
over  receipts  this  year  was  only  $307.59,  though  the  total 
expenditures  reached  the  sum  of  $10,467.44. 

The  missionary  force  of  the  Convention  was  still  further 
increased  in  1895-6  by  the  appointment  of  Rev.  C.  E. 
Harden,  a  former  successful  missionary  of  the  Convention, 
who  now  received  one-half  of  his  salary  from  the  Lincoln 
Association,  it  being  understood  that  he  would  confine  his 
labors  to  that  association.  The  appropriations  for  the 
services  of  the  secretary  and  the  missionaries  amounted  to 
$5,868.31,  and  for  the  churches  to  $4,921.50.  These.were 
large  sums,  and  there  was  a  deficit  of  $1,008.10.  There 
were  those  at  the  meeting  of  the  Convention  at  Damaris- 
cotta,  Oct.  6  and  7,  1896,  who  took  a  gloomy  view  of  the 
situation,  but  Rev.  L  B.  Mower  of  South  Berwick  sug- 
gested that  the  deficit  be  raised  then  and  there,  saying 
that  the  South  Berwick  church  could  be  relied  upon  for 
$50.00.  The  suggestion  was  promptly  seconded,  and  then 
followed  a  scene  seldom  witnessed  in  such  an  assembly, 
as  from  all  parts  of  the  house  pledges  of  money  from 
churches  and  individuals  came  pouring  in.  Dr.  Dunn 
took  charge  of  the  movement  to  wipe  out  the  deficit,  and 


350  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

when  it  was  ended,  it  was  found  that  money  and  pledges 
to  the  amount  of  $1,450  had  been  secured. 

At  this  meeting  of  the  Convention  Mr.  C.  Fred.  Morse 
resigned  the  treasuryship  and  Mr.  Henry  M.  Mahng  of 
Portland  was  made  his  successor. 

During  the  year  1896-7,  by  vote  of  the  Convention,  the 
sum  of  $6,000  was  apportioned  among  the  churches.  Fifty 
cents  per  member  was  taken  as  the  basis  of  the  apportion- 
ment, and  early  in  November,  1896,  pledge  cards  were 
sent  to  every  Baptist  church  in  the  State.  Pastors  were 
requested  to  put  these  cards  into  the  hands  of  an  efficient 
committee  for  a  thorough  distribution,  giving  every  one  an 
opportunity  to  make  a  contribution  to  the  work.  Good 
results  followed. 

The  receipts  from  the  churches  that  year  were  $4,419.06 
as  against  $3,717.64  received  the  year  before.  The  treas- 
urer reported  that  he  had  received  $1,516.67  on  account  of 
the  special  contribution  made  at  Damariscotta  for  the  defi- 
cit of  the  previous  year,  a  sum  exceeding  the  subscription. 

Rev.  C.  E.  Harden,  one  of  the  missionaries  of  the  Con- 
vention, died  Nov.  15,  1897.  Missionary  Rice,  after  long 
and  valuable  service,  resigned.  Mr.  J.  W.  Hatch,  who, 
with  his  wife,  had  done  so  faithfully  the  work  of  an 
evangelist,  was  obliged  on  account  of  ill  health  to  with- 
draw from  the  service.  This  left  for  the  latter  half  of  the 
Convention  year  1897-8  only  missionaries  Young  and  Hunt 
in  the  field,  with  the  secretary.  During  the  year  the 
disturbance  in  financial  circles  continued,  and  at  the  meet- 
ing of  the  executive  committee,  in  November,  1897,  it  was 
deemed  necessary  to  reduce  the  expenditures  for  the  year 
at  least  twenty-five  per  cent.  At  the  next  meeting  of  the 
committee  Secretary  Dunn  voluntarily  relinquished  $250 
of  his  salary,  while  missionary  Young,  with  characteristic 
self-sacrifice,  insisted  upon  a  second  reduction  of  his  sal- 
ary. In  the  year  that  followed,  1898-9,  there  was  a  return 
to  the  apportionment  plan,  with  the  result  that  $5,094.82 
were  secured  from  the  churches,  and  the  total  receipts 


^0KKff  ^1^^ 


DANIEL   SHARP   FORD. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  351 

were  such  as  to  meet  all  expenses  and  to  leave  a  balance 
of  $890.07  in  the  treasury. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Con- 
vention at  Cherryfield,  Oct.  3,  1899,  the  seventy-fifth 
anniversary  of  the  organization  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Con- 
vention was  appropriately  celebrated.  Rev.  E.  C.  Whitte- 
more,  in  a  carefully  prepared  address,  reviewed  the  history 
of  the  Convention,  and  this  address,  by  vote  of  the  Con- 
vention, was  published  in  the  Minutes. 

The  missionary  service  was  continued,  with  the  addition, 
Dec.  1,  1899,  of  Rev.  P.  A.  A.  Killam,  who  was  assigned 
to  service  in  Washington  County ;  and  a  good  work  was 
also  done  along  evangelistic  lines,  the  report  of  the  board 
for  1899-1900  making  mention  of  the  labors  of  evangelists 
H.  L.  Gale  and  Harry  Taylor,  and  sisters  Edwards,  Stone, 
Moore,  Stewart,  Fiel  and  Hoey.  A  large  part  of  the  bap- 
tisms for  the  year  were  in  connection  with  the  labors  of 
these  workers. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Convention  at  Yarmouth,  Sept. 
26  and  27,  1900,  the  treasurer  was  authorized  to  receive 
as  annuities  such  sums  of  money  as  might  come  into  the 
Convention  treasury  for  that  purpose,  and  to  give  a  bond 
guaranteeing  to  the  donors  during  their  lifetime  an  annual 
amount  of  interest  not  to  exceed  the  rate  paid  by  the 
American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society  and  the  American 
Baptist  Missionary  Union  for  annuities  of  the  same  class, 
the  principal  to  become  a  part  of  the  permanent  fund  of 
the  Convention  when  it  shall  cease  to  be  an  annuity. 
During  the  year,  $1,800  were  received  for  the  Annuity 
Fund. 

Early  in  this  Convention  year  information  was  received 
that,  by  the  will  of  Mr.  Daniel  Sharp  Ford  of  Boston,  the 
Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Convention  had  been  made  one 
of  his  residuary  legatees,  the  will  specifying  that  after  the 
payment  of  certain  bequests  one-ninth  of  the  remainder  of 
the  estate  should  become  the  property  of  the  Convention. 
During  the  year  1900-1901,  the  sum  of  $43,488.90  came 


352  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

into  the  Convention  treasury  from  this  source.  This 
amount  was  increased  during  the  following  year  by  the 
receipt  of  $23,591.66. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  executive  committee,  held  in 
Waterville  in  February,  1900,  it  was  voted,  "That  upon 
the  receipt  of  the  Daniel  S.  Ford  bequest,  or  any  part 
thereof,  the  treasurer  place  the  same  upon  the  books  of 
the  Convention  to  the  credit  of  the  special  fund,  which 
shall  be  called  the  Daniel  S.  Ford  Fund,  opening  accounts 
for  such  a  fund,  the  same  to  be  kept  and  reported  as  a 
separate  fund  of  the  Convention,  the  interest  only  to  be 
used."  This  vote  received  the  approval  of  the  board,  and 
also  of  the  Convention.  At  a  meeting  of  the  board  held  in 
Lewiston,  Sept.  23,  1902,  it  was  voted  to  set  aside  ten  per 
cent,  of  the  Ford  Fund  as  a  Church  Edifice  Building  and 
Loan  Fund,  to  be  appropriated  at  the  discretion  of  the 
executive  committee.  There  were  calls  early  in  the  year 
from  Rumford  Falls  and  Millinocket  for  aid  in  the  build- 
ing of  houses  of  worship— calls  which  were  regarded  as 
absolutely  essential  to  the  success  of  work  in  those  fields. 
Other  calls  it  was  known  would  come,  and  while  there 
was  no  such  need  of  large  expenditures  as  at  the  time  of 
the  Coburn  bequest,  it  was  the  general  conviction  that 
at  least  a  tenth  of  the  Ford  bequest  might  profitably  be 
used  in  this  way.  The  total  of  all  funds  (including  the 
Greenough  property  in  Portland,  estimated  at  $18,000,) 
was  now  $140,217.56. 

With  these  larger  resources  there  came  a  prospect  of  a 
less  strenuous  life  for  the  large-hearted,  overworked  sec- 
retary of  the  Convention.  Manfully  he  had  toiled,  in  sea- 
son and  out  of  season,  to  advance  its  interests.  He  had 
made  the  whole  State  of  Maine  as  familiar  to  him  as  is 
the  parish  of  a  country  or  city  pastor.  From  York  to 
Aroostook,  by  personal  observation  and  study,  he  knew 
the  condition  and  needs  of  the  churches.  March  2,  1903, 
he  fulfilled  an  appointment  to  present  to  the  members  of 
the  Boston  Social  Union  the  present  state  of  our  denomi- 
national work  in  Maine.     On  his  return  he  tarried  in  Port- 


REV.    ALBERT   T.    DUNN,   D.   D. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  .  353 

land  in  order  to  have  a  conference  with  the  trustees  of  the 
Convention,  residing  in  or  near  the  city,  concerning  the 
new  church  which  had  been  organized  at  Central  Square, 
and  to  the  development  of  whose  interests  Dr.  Dunn,  in  the 
preceding  weeks,  had  devoted  much  of  his  time.  Then  he 
went  to  his  home  in  Waterville.  Soon  it  was  reported  that 
he  was  ill ;  then  that  he  was  seriously  ill.  Much  strong, 
earnest  prayer  was  offered  all  over  the  State,  and  even 
beyond  its  borders,  that  if  it  was  the  will  of  God  he  might 
be  spared  for  further  service.  But  he  who  knows  the 
times  and  seasons,  and  where  he  would  have  his  servants 
be,  ordered  otherwise,  and  at  length,  on  Thursday,  April 
2,  1903,  the  sad  tidings  were  carried  to  waiting,  saddened 
hearts,  here  and  elsewhere,  that  Dr.  Dunn  was  dead.  He 
was  not,  for  God  had  taken  him. 

From  the  time  of  Dr.  Dunn's  death  until  the  close  of  the 
Convention  year,  the  work  of  the  secretary  was  performed 
by  the  executive  committee,  the  secretary  of  the  commit- 
tee. Rev.  E.  C.  Whittemore,  D.  D.,  attending  to  the  cleri- 
cal duties  of  the  corresponding  secretary's  office.  When 
the  Convention  met  at  Rockland,  Oct.  7  and  8,  1903,  there 
was  a  heavy  shadow  over  all  the  proceedings.  In  the 
report  of  the  board,  prepared  by  the  president  of  the  Con- 
vention, Rev.  I.  B.  Mower,  fitting  mention  was  made  of,, 
the  great  loss  which  the  Convention  had  sustained  in  the 
death  of  Dr.  Dunn,  and  Rev.  E.  C.  Whittemore,  D.  D.,  of 
Waterville  delivered  a  memorial  address,  in  which  the  life 
and  services  of  Dr.  Dunn  received  felicitous  and  apprecia- 
tive recognition.    This  address  was  printed  in  the  Minutes. 

At  the  election  of  officers.  Rev.  I.  B.  Mower,  pastor  of  the 
Baptist  church  at  South  Berwick,  was  made  Dr.  Dunn's 
successor.  He  had  been  president  of  the  Convention  dur- 
ing the  preceding  two  years,  and  had  also  served  as  a 
member  of  the  executive  committee  and  as  a  member  of 
the  board  of  trustees.  A  native  of  Maine,  he  had  been 
familiar  with  the  Convention  work  from  his  early  years, 
and  it  was  believed  that  he  possessed  in  an  eminent  degree 
the  executive  qualities  requisite  for  the  corresponding  sec- 

24 


354  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

retaryship.  Mr.  Mower  accepted  the  appointment  and 
soon  after  entered  upon  his  work.  Already  the  wisdom  of 
this  choice  is  abundantly  manifest. 

Dr.  Dunn  did  not  leave  a  review  of  the  financial  affairs 
of  the  Convention  during  his  period  of  service  as  did  Dr. 
Ricker.  It  was  not  permitted  to  him  to  recall  the  facts 
which  meant  so  much  to  the  interests  which  were  so  large 
a  part  of  his  daily  life  as  the  years  came  and  went.  But 
such  a  review  we  should  have,  and  it  may  take  this  tabular 
form: 


Contributions  from 

Total      ^ 

Total 

Total  Funds 

Churches. 

Income. 

Expenditures. 

and  Property. 

1890, 

$3,045.21 

$21,992.57 

$28,820.85 

$  52,845.14 

1891, 

4,423.93 

16,131.91 

19,449.92 

51,500.00 

1892, 

3,481.06 

14,231.33 

14,180.36 

53,582.96 

1893, 

3,847.49 

9,454.48 

16,112.90 

52,824.54 

1894, 

3,398.19 

13,827.67 

12,332.41 

66,305.26 

1895, 

3,291.29 

15,250.93 

14,011.51 

68,226.07 

1896, 

3,717.64 

15,564.96 

14,573.06 

65,439,41 

1897, 

4,419.06 

15,646.34 

12,246.24 

67,947.51 

1898, 

3,953.90 

12,880.81 

12,902.82 

63,018.63 

1899, 

5,094.82 

15,660.00 

11,711.54 

67,411.77 

1900, 

4,393.83 

13,073.91 

10,164.96 

70,408.47 

1901, 

4,480.93 

58,320.84 

11,628.17 

117,065.90 

1902, 

4,392.59 

37,494.14 

14,351.21 

140,217.56 

1903, 

4,625.57 

35,523.92 
$295,053.81 

14,465.47 
$206,851.42 

161,204.64 

$56,565.51 

CHAPTER  XXII. 


Maine  Baptist  Education  Society. 

With  the  termination,  in  1858,  of  the  relation  between  the 
Maine  Baptist  Education  Society  and  the  Northern  Baptist 
Education  Society,  a  new  and  more  prosperous  era  in  the 
history  of  the  Maine  Society  opened.  At  once  there  were 
gratifying  assurances  of  a  heartier  and  more  generous 
support  on  the  part  of  the  Maine  Baptist  churches.  Dur- 
ing the  first  year  after  the  Society  entered  upon  an  inde- 
pendent career  the  contributing  churches  increased  from 
eight  to  twenty-six,  and  the  amount  received  increased 
from  $250  to  $598.  The  great  revival  then  in  progress 
brought  into  the  churches  a  large  number  of  young  men, 
many  of  them  in  academies  and  high  schools,  and  those 
interested  in  the  Society  w^ere  led  to  expect  that  not  a  few 
among  the  converts  in  these  various  educational  institu- 
tions would  give  themselves  to  the  work  of  the  Christian 
ministry. 

During  the  Civil  War,  with  the  lessening  of  the  number 
of  students  in  the  higher  institutions  of  learning,  there 
was  also  a  lessening  in  the  number  of  students  for  the 
ministry.  In  the  report  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the 
Maine  Society  in  1864,  it  was  stated  that  the  number  was 
"very  small,  alarmingly  small."  The  interest  of  the  Soci- 
ety in  the  educational  work  of  the  denomination  found 
expression  in  the  annual  reports  of  the  board  in  1863  and 
in  1864.  In  the  report  for  1864,  we  find  these  words : 
"Quite  a  number  of  churches  have  nobly  responded  to  this 
call,  and  the  subscription  has  been  materially  advanced. 
All  that  is  needed  to  insure  ultimate  success  is  the  hearty 
co-operation  of  the  pastors  with  the  members  of  the  col- 
lege faculty,  whose  exertions  in  this  cause  are  worthy 


356  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

of  all  praise,  being  very  laborious  and  without  compen- 
sation." 

At  the  annual  ftieeting  in  1865,  in  the  annual  report  of 
the  board,  attention  was  called  to  the  Minister's  Insti- 
tute which  had  recently  been  held  in  Chicago  under  the 
direction  of  the  Illinois  Baptist  Pastoral  Union.  This  part 
of  the  report  was  referred  to  a  committee  of  which  Rev. 
W.  H.  Shailer,  D.  D.,  of  Portland  was  chairman.  This 
committee  recognized  the  importance  of  having  such  an 
Institute  in  Maine,  "holding  its  sessions  once  or  twice 
a  year,  when  lectures  should  be  delivered  and  subjects 
discussed  pertaining  to  Christian  doctrine  and  pastoral 
duties."  In  accordance  with  a  recommendation  of  the 
committee,  the  board  was  instructed  to  mature  some  plan 
for  establishing  such  an  Institute  at  Waterville,  or  some 
other  central  place  in  the  State,  and  to  carry  the  plan  into 
effect  as  soon  as  practicable. 

A  Minister's  Institute  was  accordingly  held  in  Saco, 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Society,  in  connection  with  its 
annual  meeting  in  June,  1866,  and  continued  two  days. 
Dr.  Alvah  Hovey,  of  Newton  Theological  Institution,  deliv- 
ered six  lectures  on  Theology,  Dr.  N.  M.  Wood  of  Thomas- 
ton,  two  on  Evidences,  Dr.  G.  W.  Bosworth  of  Lawrence, 
Mass.,  one  on  Ministerial  Efficiency,  and  Rev.  Nathaniel 
Butler  of  Camden,  one  on  Revivals. 

In  November,  1866,  the  Institute  met  at  Waterville,  and 
was  organized  as  a  distinct  and  permanent  society.  Fifty 
ministers  were  present.  The  Institute  continued  eight 
days.  Dr.  Hovey  delivered  lectures  on  Inspiration,  the 
Extent  of  Sin,  the  Extent  of  the  Atonement,  Conscious- 
ness in  the  Intermediate  State,  Mode  of  Baptism,  Resur- 
rection, and  Duty  of  Women  in  Social  Meetings.  Dr.  T. 
J.  Conant  gave  four  lectures  on  God's  Care  for  his  Word 
and  four  exegetical  exercises.  One  session  was  devoted 
to  a  conference  on  various  practical  subjects,  such  as  the 
best  method  of  raising  money  for  benevolent  purposes, 
best  method  of  conducting  a  revival,  &c. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  357 

In  October,  1867,  the  Institute  was  held  at  Thomaston. 
Fifty-five  ministers  were  present.  Dr.  Hovey  gave  two 
lectures  on  Regeneration,  two  on  a  Review  of  Bushnell, 
one  on  Alleged  Contradictions  of  Scriptures,  one  on  the 
Best  Commentaries,  and  one  on  the  Study  of  Theology. 
Dr.  G.  D.  B.  Pepper  of  Newton  Theological  Institution 
gave  five  lectures,  one  on  Justin  Martyr,  one  on  Celsus, 
one  on  the  Study  of  Ecclesiastical  History,  one  on  the 
Self-evidencing  Power  of  Truth,  and  one  on  the  Univer- 
sal Brotherhood  of  Man.  Essays  were  also  read  by  Dr. 
Adam  Wilson  and  Rev.  Ira  Leland  on  the  Office  Work  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  by  Dr.  N.  M.  Wood  on  the  Word  and  the 
Spirit  in  Regeneration,  by  Rev.  F.  D.  Blake  on  the  Pres- 
ent Guidance  of  the  Spirit  into  Truth,  and  by  Rev.  J. 
Ricker  and  Rev.  W.  0.  Holman  on  Ministerial  Successful- 
ness.  Rev.  H.  A.  Hart  read  a  review  of  Stanley's  History 
of  the  Jewish  Church,  and  Rev.  R.  J.  Langridge  a  review 
of  Clarke's  Orthodoxy,  its  Truths  and  its  Errors.  Rev.  J. 
W.  Holman  gave  an  interpretation  of  Rev.  20  :  1-10. 

A  meeting  of  the  Institute  was  held  at  Skowhegan  Oct. 
21  and  22,  1868.  Rev.  Dr.  Manning  of  Boston,  Dr.  Hovey, 
Dr.  W.  Lamson,  and  Mr.  R.  G.  Pardee  of  New  York  were 
the  lecturers,  but  it  was  evident  that  the  interest  in  the 
Institute  was  declining.  It  was  difficult  to  secure  lec- 
turers, and  the  expense  to  the  members  was  somewhat 
burdensome.  It  was  found,  moreover,  that  those  who 
would  be  most  benefited  by  the  meeting  did  not  attend. 
In  1869,  no  meeting  was  held,  and  notwithstanding  the 
announcement  that  a  meeting  would  probably  be  held  dur- 
ing the  next  year  the  Institute  quietly  went  out  of  exist- 
ence, though  an  ineffectual  attempt  to  revive  it  was  made 
by  the  Maine  Baptist  Education  Society  in  1874. 

Meanwhile  the  Education  Society  continued  its  work  of 
aiding  young  men  who  were  studying  for  the  Christian 
ministry.  It  was  still  necessary  for  the  Society  to  correct 
a  misunderstanding  in  some  quarters  with  reference  to 
ministerial  education— a  misunderstanding  which,  it  would 


358  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

seem,  ought  not  to  have  existed  after  so  many  explicit 
statements.  In  their  annual  report  for  1866,  the  direc- 
tors of  the  Society  said:  ''Holding  that  no  education  can 
be  too  extensive  and  no  mental  discipline  too  thorough  for 
the  ministry,  we  also  hold  that  such  an  education  and  such 
a  discipline  are  not  within  the  reach  of  all,  and  therefore 
should  not  be  urged  upon  all.  The  man  should  receive  the 
training  he  is  fitted  for  by  mental  structure  and  outward 
circumstances.  One  man  will  be  greatly  benefited  by 
seven  years  of  study  in  college  and  seminary;  another 
would  be  injured  thereby.  This  Society  has  no  thought  of 
inculcating  the  idea  that  none  should  enter  the  ministry 
but  graduates  of  schools  and  seminaries.  God  calls  men 
into  the  ministry,  we  believe,  of  all  stations  and  of  all 
ages,  and  while  every  man  would  be  better  for  some  train- 
ing, it  is  evident  that  the  same  training  is  not  adapted  to 
all.  Whether  the  preparation  should  consist  of  a  few 
months'  study  and  experience  with  some  pastor,  or  a  full 
course  of  study,  must  be  determined  by  the  circumstances 
of  each  individual.  We  hold  ourselves  ready  to  assist 
with  our  counsels  and  our  funds  every  one,  who  is  called 
to  preach  the  gospel,  to  secure  the  best  possible  prepara- 
tion open  to  him." 

But  young  men  in  large  numbers  were  not  offering 
themselves  as  candidates  for  the  ministry.  In  the  year 
1867-8,  only  four  men  were  aided  by  the  Society,  and  all 
were  members  of  the  senior  class  in  Colby  University. 
Indeed  the  annual  report  of  the  board  of  directors  raised 
the  question,  "Is  it  desirable  to  continue  the  organiza- 
tion ?"  But  a  more  encouraging  state  of  things  was  soon 
evident.  At  the  meeting  of  the  Society  held  in  Portland, 
June  23,  1870,  Rev.  S.  L.  Caldwell,  D.  D.,  of  Providence, 
R.  I. ,  and  Rev.  Alvah  Hovey,  D.  D. ,  of  Newton  Theologi- 
cal Institution,  were  present  and  considered  at  some  length 
the  character  and  work  of  our  institutions  of  learning  with 
reference  to  the  Christian  ministry ;  and  a  committee  was 
appointed  to  bring  the  matter  before  the  several  associa- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  359 

tions  in  the  State,  with  the  view  of  awakening  in  the 
denomination  a  deeper  interest  in  every  form  of  educa- 
tion. 

Then  came  the  memorable  meeting  at  Bath,  June  19, 
1872,  when  the  by-laws  of  the  Society  were  changed, 
enlarging  the  work  of  the  Society  so  that  it  should  have 
this  added  aim,  "to  foster,  in  all  proper  and  legal  ways, 
our  educational  interests  in  the  State."  In  the  report  of 
the  board  this  encouraging  statement  was  made:  "The 
interest  and  liberality  of  the  churches  in  the  work  of 
this  Society  seem  to  be  on  the  increase."  The  benefi- 
ciaries had  increased  to  eleven,  and  the  contributions  of 
the  churches  had  also  increased.  In  1873-4,  the  num- 
ber of  beneficiaries  had  increased  to  fifteen,  and  appro- 
priations were  made  amounting  to  $1,155.  During  this 
year  the  sum  of  $733.47  was  received  from  a  bequest  of 
Byron  Greenough  of  Portland  and  added  to  the  perma- 
nent fund.  In  the  year  1876-7,  the  number  of  beneficia- 
ries had  increased  to  twenty-four,  and  the  amount  paid  to 
these  was  $1,280.  Into  the  treasury  that  year,  from  the 
churches  and  friends  of  the  Society,  contributions  came 
amounting  to  $1,082.97.  An  earnest  effort  was  made  dur- 
ing the  year  to  secure  the  co-operation  of  every  Baptist 
church  in  the  State.  Special  educational  meetings  were 
held  in  Damariscotta,  Dec.  13,  1876,  and  much  interest  in 
the  work  of  the  Society  was  awakened. 

But  the  number  of  beneficiaries  in  1877-8  was  reduced 
to  seventeen,  and  the  amount  contributed  from  various 
sources  was  reduced  to  $857.82.  This  was  attributed  to 
recent  criticisms  of  the  beneficiary  system  and  to  business 
depression.  In  1878,  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Soci- 
ety, a  resolution  was  adopted  requiring  the  beneficiaries  to 
pledge  themselves  to  secure  an  annual  collection  in  aid  of 
the  Society's  work,  or  in  aid  of  some  other  Baptist  Minis- 
terial Education  Society,  a  resolution  that  was  very  soon 
forgotten.  In  1882,  the  number  of  beneficiaries  had  still 
further  declined  and  only  four  were  reported  at  the  annual 


360  HISTORY  OP  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

meeting  as  receiving  aid  from  the  Society.  *  'Fewer  stu- 
dents," said  the  report,  "have  the  ministry  definitely  in 
view  than  in  former  years." 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Society  in  1883,  in  accord- 
ance with  a  request  received  from  the  trustees  of  Colby 
University,  that  the  Society  should  appoint  annually  a 
committee  to  report  to  the  Society  on  the  work  and  wants 
of  the  college  and  its  tributary  academies,  committees 
were  appointed  to  visit  Houlton  Academy,  Hebron  Acad- 
emy, Coburn  Classical  Institute  and  Colby  University,  and 
the  reports  of  these  committees  appeared  in  connection 
with  the  report  of  the  next  annual  meeting  of  the  Soci- 
ety. Similar  reports  in  connection  with  the  reports  of  the 
annual  meetings  of  the  Society  have  appeared  each  year 
since  that  time.  These  have  been  printed  in  the  Minutes, 
and  in  this  way  the  more  important  facts  in  connection 
with  the  work  and  growth  of  these  various  institutions 
have  been  laid  before  the  churches. 

Meanwhile  the  Society  continued  to  press  its  work  with 
reference  to  the  Christian  ministry.  In  1885,  the  efficient 
secretary  of  the  Society,  Rev.  E.  S.  Small,  prepared  a 
paper  urging  upon  young  men  the  claims  of  the  ministry. 
This  paper  was  published  in  Zion's  Advocate  and  also  in 
tract  form  for  circulation  in  our  denominational  schools. 
A  paper  by  Rev,  C.  V.  Hanson,  on  the  Importance  of  More 
Prayer  for  the  Sending  of  Laborers  into  the  Harvest,  was 
also  published  in  Zion's  Advocate. 

In  1886,  the  by-laws  and  rules  of  the  Society  were 
codified,^    Hitherto  the  Society  had  granted  beneficiary 

^I.  The  objects  of  this  Society  shall  be  to  assist,  in  acquiring  an  education,  such 
brethren  of  the  Baptist  denomination  needing  aid  as  give  satisfactory  evidence  that  they 
are  called  of  God  to  the  work  of  the  gospel  ministry,  and  to  foster,  in  all  proper  and  legal 
ways,  our  educational  interests  in  the  State. 

II.  The  Society  shall  be  composed  of  all  regularly  ordained  Baptist  ministers  in  the 
State ;  of  life  members,  made  such  by  the  payment,  at  one  time,  of  ten  dollars,  and  of 
delegates  from  Baptist  churches  contributing  to  its  funds,  each  church  appointing  one 
delegate  for  the  current  year. 

III.  The  officers  of  the  Society  shall  be  a  president,  vice  president,  secretary,  treas- 
urer, and  not  more  than  thirty  directors,  chosen  annually.  Together,  they  shall  form  an 
executive  board,  six  of  whom,  when  regularly  convened,  shall  constitute  a  quorum. 

IV.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Secretary  to  keep  a  record  of  the  proceedings  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  361 

aid  only  to  young  men  studying  for  the  Christian  minis- 
try. In  1887,  the  report  of  the  board  raised  the  question 
whether  beneficiary  aid  should  not  be  extended  to  young 
women,  and  at  the  meeting  of  the  Society  held  in  Lewis- 
ton,  Oct.  3,  1888,  it  was  voted,  "That  it  is  the  sense  of 
this  Society  that  the  charter  of  the  Society  should  be 
so  amended  as  to  include  among  its  beneficiaries  young 
women  who  purpose  to  engage  in  religious  work  ;  and  the 
directors  are  hereby  authorized  to  secure  the  necessary 
legislation."    In  accordance  with  this  vote  the  charter  of 

Society  and  of  the  executive  board ;  to  conduct  the  correspondence  of  the  Society  ;  to 
give  notice  of  all  meetings,  and  to  present,  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Society,  a  report 
of  what  has  been  accomplished  during  the  year  then  closed. 

V.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  treasurer  to  receive  and  safely  keep  all  moneys  and  other 
property  belonging  to  the  Society,  subject  at  all  times  to  the  direction  of  the  board.  He 
shall  keep  an  exact  account  of  all  receipts  and  expenditures,  and  shall  present  the  same, 
audited  by  a  committee  appointed  by  the  Society  for  this  purpose,  in  his  report  to  the 
Society  at  their  annual  meeting.  He  shall  give  to  the  board,  whenever  it  shall  be 
required,  a  written  statement  of  the  condition  of  the  treasury,  and  of  the  amount  and 
description  of  funds  belonging  to  the  Society.  He  shall  also  render  to  the  secretary,  at 
least  one  week  before  the  annual  meeting,  a  written  report  of  his  receipts  and  disburse- 
ments during  the  year. 

VI.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  executive  board  to  receive,  under  the  patronage  of  the 
Society,  such  brethren  of  the  Baptist  denomination  as  are  deemed  worthy,  and  need 
assistance  in  their  preparation  for  the  work  of  the  ministry,  to  advise  with  them  in  refer- 
ence to  their  places  of  study,  to  determine  the  amount  of  aid  to  be  offered  them,  and  the 
conditions  upon  which  it  shall  be  given,  and  generally  to  superintend  the  interests  of  the 
Society  in  the  collection  and  disbursement  of  funds. 

VII.  It  shall  further  be  the  duty  of  the  executive  board  to  apixjint  an  examining  com- 
mittee, whose  duty  it  shall  be  to  examine  applicants  for  assistance  and  to  report  results 
to  the  board.  In  case  it  is  not  convenient  for  an  applicant  to  come  before  the  committee, 
he  may  appear  before  any  three  pastors  of  Baptist  churches  in  this  State,  and  their 
report  shall  be  received  by  the  board  as  the  report  of  an  examining  committee.  The 
examining  committee  shall  have  oversight  of  the  beneficiaries  as  to  their  character, 
scholarship,  amount  of  preaching,  etc.,  and  the  location  of  members  of  this  committee 
shall  have  reference  to  the  location  of  the  beneficiaries,  for  the  convenient  discharge  of 
these  duties. 

VIII.  The  executive  board  shall  hold  four  regular  meetings  in  the  year  for  the  trans- 
action of  business,  in  connection  with  the  meetings  of  the  board  of  the  Maine  Baptist 
Missionary  Convention,  or  as  the  board  may  appoint.  Special  meetings  of  the  board 
may  be  called  at  the  option  of  the  president,  or  at  the  written  request  of  three  members 
of  the  board. 

IX.  There  shall  be  an  annual  meeting  of  the  Society  in  connection  with  the  annual 
meeting  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Convention,  and  at  each  meeting  a  person  shall 
be  appointed  to  preach  at  the  next  annual  meeting. 

X.  The  rules  concerning  beneficiaries  shall  be  a  part  of  these  by-laws,  and  shall  be 
printed  separately  in  a  circular  for  the  information  of  those  interested. 

XI.  These  by-laws  may  be  altered  at  any  annual  meeting,  by  a  vote  of  two-thirds  of 
the  members  present. 


362  HISTORY  OP  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

the  Society  was  amended  by  the  addition  in  the  fourth 
section  of  the  words,  "and  such  young  women  in  their 
education  for  missionary  or  other  religious  work."  The 
amended  charter  received  the  signature  of  the  governor 
of  Maine  Feb.  19,  1889.  In  accordance  with  this  action 
the  Society  placed  on  its  beneficiary  list  in  that  year  the 
name  of  a  young  lady,  a  graduate  of  Hebron  Academy, 
who  was  taking  a  medical  course  under  the  direction  of 
the  Woman's  Baptist  Foreign  Missionary  Society. 

The  report  of  the  board  for  1889  shows  that  from  1858  to 
1889  one  hundred  and  eleven  names  appear  in  the  Soci- 
ety's records  as  beneficiaries.  A  few  of  these  received 
only  one  appropriation ;  one  was  assisted  throughout  eight 
years ;  several  were  on  the  list  for  seven  and  six  years, 
while  four  or  three  years  constituted  the  average  term. 

A  legacy  of  $1,000  from  the  estate  of  Mr.  J.  H.  Roberts 
of  Rollinsford,  N.  H.,  was  mentioned  in  the  annual  report 
of  the  board  in  1890,  and  this  sum  was  added  to  the  Soci- 
ety's permanent  fund. 

The  advisability  of  committing  the  business  of  the 
Society  to  an  executive  committee  was  considered  and 
approved  by  the  Society  in  1891,  and  authority  was  given 
to  the  board  of  directors  to  appoint  such  a  committee. 
This  committee  since  that  time  has  attended  to  the  duties 
previously  entrusted  to  the  board  of  directors. 

The  Society  at  this  time  also  heartily  endorsed  a  move- 
ment suggested  by  President  Small  of  Colby  University  to 
secure  for  the  college  through  the  Baptist  young  people  of 
Maine  the  foundation  of  a  professorship  of  biblical  liter- 
ature, and  it  was  recommended  that  an  effort  be  made  to 
secure  from  the  young  people  in  the  churches  throughout 
the  State  as  a  foundation  of  the  professorship  the  amount 
of  two  thousand  dollars  annually.  Rev.  G.  D.  B.  Pepper, 
D.  D. ,  formerly  president  of  Colby,  received  the  appoint- 
ment to  the  chair  thus  established,  and  entered  upon  his 
work  in  1892.  This  was  an  appointment  which  was  most 
gratifying  to  the  Baptists  of  Maine.  Dr.  Pepper,  as  pas- 
tor of  the  Baptist  church  in  Waterville,  and  later  as  presi- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  363 

dent  of  the  college,  was  widely  and  favorably  known.  As 
an  eminent  biblical  scholar  and  teacher,  he  possessed  just 
those  qualifications  which  especially  fitted  him  for  suc- 
cessful service  in  his  professorship.  The  amount  secured 
from  the  young  people's  societies  annually  for  the  support 
of  the  professorship,  however,  did  not  meet  the  expecta- 
tions of  those  who  organized  the  movement,  and  for  five 
years  the  necessary  funds  were  largely  provided  by  the 
gifts  of  individuals  who  were  interested  in  securing  Dr. 
Pepper's  services  in  this  important  department  of  instruc- 
tion. In  1897,  the  trustees  of  Colby  voted  to  continue  the 
professorship,  and  it  was  hoped  that  in  the  effort  then 
commenced  to  increase  the  endowment  of  the  college  spe- 
cial gifts  would  be  made  which  would  place  the  biblical 
professorship  on  a  strong  foundation.  This  hope,  greatly 
to  the  disappointment  of  the  friends  of  the  college,  was 
not  realized.  Dr.  Pepper  accordingly  resigned,  and  the 
biblical  professorship  at  Colby  was  discontinued. 

Meanwhile  the  small  number  of  students  for  the  minis- 
try in  the  academies  and  in  the  college  awakened  anxiety. 
In  1891,  the  number  of  students  receiving  beneficiary  aid 
from  the  Education  Society  had  fallen  to  nine.  In  the  pre- 
vious year  no  new  application  for  aid  had  been  received, 
an  experience  the  Society  had  not  known  since  1867.  Of 
course  students  for  the  ministry  requiring  aid  from  the 
Society  did  not  comprise  the  whole  number  of  those  who 
were  at  this  time  looking  forward  to  the  work  of  the 
Christian  ministry  as  their  life  work.  But  the  entire 
number  of  ministerial  students,  it  was  ascertained,  was 
inconsiderably  small  in  proportion  to  the  immediate  and 
pressing  demand  for  trained  laborers.  It  was  believed, 
however,  that  certain  forces  were  already  in  operation 
which  could  hardly  fail  to  increase  the  number  of  students 
for  the  ministry.  Earnest  prayer  was  being  offered  to 
this  end.  The  young  people's  movement  was  calling  the 
attention  of  many  to  the  needs  of  the  churches  and  to 
the  responsibilities  resting  upon  the  churches  with  refer- 
ence to  this  matter.     There  was  also  an  increasing  inter- 


364  HISTORY    OF    THE    BAPTISTS    IN    MAINE. 

est  in  general  education,  which  in  itself  was  favorable,  it 
was  thought,  to  an  increase  of  ministerial  students.  The 
expectations  raised  by  these  and  other  considerations  were 
in  part  fulfilled.  In  1895,  the  number  of  students  for  the 
ministry  aided  by  the  Maine  Baptist  Education  Society 
had  risen  to  sixteen,  and  the  appropriations  that  year 
amounted  to  $1,117,70.  But  unhappily  this  increase  was 
only  temporary.  In  1901,  the  number  had  fallen  to  seven, 
and  in  1903,  to  five. 

This  state  of  things  has  very  naturally  led  to  serious 
inquiry  as  to  the  cause  or  causes  of  the  fact  that  so  few 
young  men  in  a  course  of  liberal  study  in  our  institutions 
of  learning  have  the  Christian  ministry  in  view.  This 
inquiry  indeed  has  become  a  general  one,  for  a  like  state 
of  things  exists  elsewhere.  In  the  report  of  the  board  of 
the  Maine  Baptist  Education  Society  for  1903,  attention 
was  called  to  the  fact  that  education  societies  in  other 
States  reported  a  similar  steady  decrease  in  the  number  of 
applicants  for  aid.  Among  the  reasons  given  for  this 
decrease  by  those  who  had  thoughtfully  considered  the 
matter  were  :  1st.  The  large  number  of  unemployed  min- 
isters in  the  country ;  2nd.  The  brief  period  of  active  ser- 
vice in  the  ministry,  inasmuch  as  the  churches  desire  only 
young  men  for  pastors ;  3rd.  The  meager  compensation 
during  this  brief  period  as  compared  with  that  received  in 
other  callings  requiring  the  same  ability  and  training. 
These  reasons  have  not  equal  weight,  and  one  of  them, 
the  large  number  of  unemployed  ministers,  may  have 
little,  if  any,  force  in  Maine.  But  there  can  be  no  doubt 
that  other  callings,  for  many  reasons,  have  for  some  time 
been  more  forceful  and  are  more  forceful  still. 

Where  is  the  remedy  for  this  state  of  things  ?  If  there 
are  hindrances  in  the  churches  themselves,  these  hin- 
drances should  be  removed.  There  should  also  be  unceas- 
ing prayer  to  the  Lord  of  the  harvest  that  he  send  forth 
more  laborers  into  the  great  harvest  field.  Has  not  prayer 
for  this  object  been  much  less  frequent  in  recent  years 
than  formerly?    Have  we  at  the  present  time  as  many 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  365 

family  altars  in  Christian  homes  at  which  such  prayers 
were  formerly  wont  daily  to  be  made? 

The  Maine  Baptist  Education  Society,  since  its  organiza- 
tion at  Waterville  in  1819,  has  certainly  justified  the  hopes 
of  its  founders.  It  may  not  have  accomplished  all  that 
was  possible  in  such  an  organization,  but  its  officers  have 
been  men  of  ability  and  consecration,  who  have  given  to 
the  work  whole-hearted  service.  The  Society  has  not  only 
aided  a  large  number  of  young  men  in  their  preparation 
for  the  work  of  the  Christian  ministry,  but  it  has  directed 
the  attention  of  the  members  of  Baptist  churches  in  Maine 
'to  the  work  of  education  in  general,  and  especially  since 
the  change  in  its  by-laws  in  1872,  when  it  became  one 
of  the  objects  of  the  Society  "to  foster,  in  all  proper  and 
legal  ways,  our  educational  interests  in  the  State."  From 
that  time  the  Maine  Baptist  Education  Society  has  been  a 
potent  factor  in  all  the  educational  plans  and  purposes  of 
the  Baptists  of  Maine.  During  this  time  the  federation 
of  our  educational  institutions,  suggested  by  Dr.  Champ- 
lin,  has  been  accomplished,  and  has  attracted  attention 
throughout  the  denomination. 

Unquestionably  the  progress  that  is  noticeable  in  the 
work  of  the  Society  in  the  early  part  of  the  period  under 
review  was  due  in  a  large  measure  to  the  intelligent  ser- 
vice rendered  by  the  secretary  of  the  Society,  Rev.  George 
W.  Bosworth,  D.  D.,  then  pastor  of  the  Free  St.  church, 
Portland.  For  eight  years,  until  his  removal  from  the 
State,  in  November,  1865,  he  was  the  leading  spirit  in  all 
the  deliberations  of  the  Society  and  in  all  its  work.  He 
saw  the  needs  of  the  churches  with  reference  to  an  edu- 
cated ministry,  and  his  interest  and  his  energies  were 
enlisted  to  a  remarkable  degree  in  awakening  the  atten- 
tion of  his  brethren  throughout  the  State  to  the  import- 
ance of  seeking  out  and  encouraging  young  men  whom 
God  had  called  to  his  service.  He  brought  to  his  task 
strong  convictions  with  reference  to  the  gospel  as  the 
power  of  God  unto  salvation,  a  deep  and  abiding  love  for 
the  work  of  the  Christian  ministry,  and  large  success  in 


366  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

prosecuting  it.  His  removal  from  the  State  was  a  loss  to 
our  educational  interests  that  was  long  deeply  felt. 

Dr.  Bosworth  was  succeeded  in  the  secretaryship  of  the 
Society  by  Rev.  H.  A.  Hart,  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church 
in  Yarmouth,  who  held  the  office  only  a  single  year,  and 
was  succeeded  by  Rev.  B.  F.  Shaw,  pastor  of  the  Baptist 
church  in  Waterville,  who  served  the  Society  the  same 
length  of  time.  In  1869,  Rev.  C.  M.  Emery,  pastor  of  the 
Baptist  church  in  Thomaston,  was  elected  secretary,  and 
retained  the  position  until  1875,  rendering  faithful,  unre- 
mitting attention  to  the  duties  of  his  office.  He  was 
followed  by  Rev.  Henry  Crocker,  pastor  of  the  Baptist 
church  in  Damariscotta,  who  served  the  Society  until  his 
removal  to  Vermont  in  1879,  admirably  meeting  all  the 
requirements  of  the  position.  For  five  years.  Rev.  W.  0. 
Ayer,  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Skowhegan,  con- 
tinued the  work  of  the  secretaryship,  rendering  efficient 
service  until  his  removal  to  Massachusetts.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded, in  1884,  by  Rev.  E.  S.  Small,  pastor  of  the  Bap- 
tist church  in  Livermore  Falls,  who  not  only  faithfully 
discharged  the  present  duties  of  the  secretaryship,  but 
directed  his  attention  to  the  Society's  past,  and  in  the 
annual  reports  of  the  board  from  year  to  year  placed  on 
record  many  important  facts  connected  with  the  history 
of  the  Society.  Continued  ill  health  compelled  him  at 
length  to  leave  the  work  of  the  ministry,  and  he  was  suc- 
ceeded in  1889  by  Rev.  C.  C.  Tilley,  pastor  of  the  Bates 
St.  Baptist  church,  Lewiston.  On  account  of  his  removal 
to  Massachusetts,  Mr.  Tilley  retained  the  office  only  a  lit- 
tle more  than  a  year,  and  Rev.  C.  E.  Owen,  pastor  of  the 
church  in  Gardiner,  was  called  to  the  position.  Happily 
the  Society  has  been  able  to  retain  his  services  to  the  pres- 
ent time,  and  with  painstaking  devotion  Mr.  Owen  has 
given  much  attention  to  the  broadening  aspects  of  the 
educational  work  of  the  Baptists  of  Maine. 

By  the  enlargement  of  its  work  in  1872,  the  Maine  Bap- 
tist Education  Society  assumed  a  prominence  in  our  State 
denominational  affairs  which  it  had  not  secured  in  its  ear- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  367 

lier  history.  Hitherto  it  had  served  the  churches  in  aiding 
young  men  who  were  preparing  themselves  for  the  work 
of  the  Christian  ministry.  A  better  trained  and  more 
effective  ministry  was  in  this  way  provided  than  other- 
wise would  have  been  possible.  But  while  not  losing  sight 
of  its  original  purpose  in  securing  and  bestowing  bene- 
ficiary aid,  the  Society  by  enlarging  its  aims  and  efforts 
has  now  for  a  generation  performed  a  service  of  which 
the  fathers  did  not  even  dream.  It  has  taken  the  lead 
in  our  various  educational  enterprises  and  given  to  them 
most  hearty  and  efficient  support.  In  this,  we  may  well 
believe,  there  will  be  no  backward  steps  as  the  years  come 
and  go,  and  the  Society,  continuing  to  foster  the  various 
educational  interests  of  the  Baptists  of  Maine,  should  wit- 
ness larger  achievements  than  those  already  secured. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


Colby  College. 

When  Mr.  Colby,  Aug.  10, 1864,  offered  to  give  to  Water- 
ville  College  $50,000,  on  condition  that  the  friends  of  the 
college  should  raise  $100,000,  an  effort  was  already  in 
progress  to  increase  the  funds  of  that  institution.  Only 
a  few  months  before,  the  Legislature  of  the  State  came  to 
the  aid  of  the  college  by  passing  an  order  giving  the  col- 
lege two  half  townships  of  land,  on  condition  that  added 
gifts  amounting  to  at  least  $20,000  should  be  secured.  Dr. 
Champlin  was  endeavoring  to  meet  this  condition  when- 
Mr.  Colby  came  to  Waterville  and  made  his  own  proposal 
concerning  the  enlargement  of  the  college  funds. 

The  Civil  War  was  still  in  progress.  The  great,  indeci- 
sive battles  at  the  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania  and  Cold 
Harbor  had  just  been  fought,  and  Gen.  Grant  had  entered 
upon  his  long  struggle  for  the  possession  of  Petersburg. 
The  time  was  not  a  favorable  one,  but  President  Champlin 
and  his  associates  in  the  faculty  entered  upon  a  vigorous 
canvas  of  the  State  in  order  to  meet  the  conditions  which 
Mr.  Colby  and  the  State  had  imposed.  There  were  few 
men  of  large  wealth  in  the  Baptist  ranks  in  Maine,  or 
among  the  graduates  and  friends  of  the  college,  and  it  was 
not  an  easy  task  to  meet  these  conditions.  Many  a  long 
and  weary  journey  was  made  to  obtain  even  a  small  sub- 
scription. But  the  subscription  list  gradually  lengthened. 
If  there  was  disappointment  in  one  place  there  was  encour- 
agement elsewhere.  *lt  averaged  well,"  Dr.  Champlin 
said,  and  with  steadfast  purpose  he  continued  his  work. 

The  prospect  brightened  with  the  surrender  of  Lee's 
army  at  Appomattox  and  the  close  of  the  Civil  War  ;  and 
at  length  the  glad  announcement  was  made  that  the  entire 


HISTORY  OP  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  369 

sum  of  $100,000  had  been  subscribed.  Mr.  Colby's  offer 
required  that  the  whole  $100,000  should  be  paid  and  in  the 
hands  of  the  treasurer  of  the  college  before  the  second 
$25,000  of  his  own  subscription  became  due.  At  the  meet- 
ing of  the  Maine  Baptist  Convention  held  in  Saco,  June  19, 
1866,  Dr.  Ricker,  in  presenting  the  report  of  the  com- 
mittee on  education,  reminded  the  Convention  that  of  the 
actual  collection  of  $100,000  required  by  Mr.  Colby's  sub- 
scription there  was  still  lacking  a  considerable  fraction. 
On  this  account,  he  said,  the  college  was  a  sufferer  to 
the  extent  of  nearly  $2,000  a  year,  and  he  urged  the 
importance  of  pushing  the  work  of  payment  to  an  early 
completion.  It  was  pushed,  and  the  entire  amount  of  the 
subscription,  $150,000,  together  with  the  two  half  town- 
ships of  land  donated  by  the  State,  came  into  the  posses- 
sion of  the  college. 

Dr.  Champlin,  to  whom  the  success  of  this  effort  meant 
so  much,  now  suggested  to  the  trustees  of  the  college  that 
in  recognition  of  Mr.  Colby's  gift  the  name  of  the  college 
should  be  changed  to  Colby  University.  This  suggestion 
was  without  Mr.  Colby's  knowledge.  Not  even  a  hint 
of  such  a  proposal  had  in  any  way  reached  him.  The 
suggestion  was  received  by  the  trustees  of  the  college 
with  enthusiastic  unanimity,  and  Jan.  23,  1867,  an  act  was 
obtained  from  the  Legislature  of  Maine  by  which  Water- 
ville  College  became  Colby  University. 

But  added  facilities  were  needed  as  well  as  a  larger 
endowment.  A  proposal  to  erect  on  the  college  grounds 
a  Memorial  Hall,  in  lasting  remembrance  of  the  sons  of 
the  college  who  had  sacrificed  their  lives  in  the  service  of 
the  country  during  the  Rebellion,  was  received  by  the 
graduates  and  friends  of  the  institution  with  very  deep 
interest,  and  the  funds  were  easily  obtained.  The  corner 
stone  of  the  building,  designed  for  chapel  and  library 
uses,  also  to  furnish  a  hall  for  alumni  reunions,  was  laid 
Aug.  14,  1867,  and  the  building,  substantially  built  of 
stone  and  chaste  in  design,  was  dedicated  Aug.  10,  1869. 

26 


370  HISTORY  OP  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

Later  a  memorial  tablet,  containing  the  names  of  the 
twenty  students  and  alumni  of  the  college  who  died  dur- 
ing the  Civil  War,  was  placed  on  the  eastern  wall  of 
alumni  hall,  bearing  the  following  inscription  written  by 
President  Champlin : 

Fratribus 

Etiam  in  Cineribus  caris 

Quorum  Nomina  infra  Incisa  sunt 

Quique  in  Bello  Civili 

Pro  Reipublicae  Integritate  Ceciderunt 

Hanc  Tabulam 

Posuerunt  Alumni, 

Above  this  tablet,  in  an  alcove,  was  also  placed  a 
fine  copy  in  marble  of  Thorwaldsen's  celebrated  Lion  of 
Lucerne,  made  by  Millmore  of  Boston,  and  adapted  to  its 
new  use  by  the  substitution  of  the  shield  of  the  United 
States  for  that  of  Switzerland  in  the  original.  The  money 
for  this  artistic  memorial  was  secured  by  Prof.  Charles  E. 
Hamhn,  to  whom  this  service,  from  high  patriotic  motives, 
was  a  labor  of  love  most  enthusiastically  performed. 

August  2,  1870,  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  founding 
of  the  college  was  observed  in  connection  with  the  annual 
commencement.  President  Champlin  delivered  an  histor- 
ical discourse  in  which  he  reviewed  the  facts  concerning 
the  beginnings  of  the  institution.  The  college  had  been 
founded,  but  it  still  had  needs.  "We  need  immediately," 
he  said,  "an  additional  building  for  a  cabinet  and  labora- 
tory. We  ought,  also,  to  have  a  foundation  for  a  scientific 
department.  There  is  a  growing  demand  for  instruction 
in  the  application  of  the  sciences  to  the  various  arts  of 
life.  Who  will  lead  off  in  establishing  such  a  founda- 
tion ?  I  know  of  no  greater  service  which  one  could  do 
the  institution  than  to  found  two  or  three  professorships 
in  the  practical  sciences."  Not  all  the  added  facilities, 
which  the  president  here  indicated,  were  at  once  secured, 
but  a  beginning  was  made  at  this  commencement  in  1870. 
At  the  meeting  of  the  trustees  on  the  morning  after  the 
delivery  of  this  discourse,  ample  provision  was  made  for 
the  erection  of  a  building  for  the  department  of  natural 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  371 

science,  as  well  as  for  other  improvements.  From  Mr. 
Gardner  Colby,  Hon.  J.  Warren  Merrill  of  Cambridge, 
Mass.,  ex-Gov.  Abner  Cobum  and  Hon.  William  E.  Wor- 
den,  class  of  1836,  came  $10,000  each.  President  Champlin 
added  $1,000,  and  the  alumni  $9,000.  From  these  funds  a 
stone  edifice,  designated  Cobum  Hall,  was  erected.  This 
building  was  completed  in  1872,  and  furnished  four  rooms 
for  lectures  and  laboratory  work,  also  a  hall  for  collections 
in  geology  and  natural  history,  and  the  Hamlin  collection 
of  the  birds  of  Maine. 

At  the  same  time  the  chapel  was  remodeled  for  reci- 
tation uses,  at  an  expense  of  $6,000.  This  building  now 
received  the  name  Champlin  Hall.  Then  the  North  Col- 
lege received  attention.  This  also  was  remodeled,  the 
expenditure  amounting  to  $8,500,  and,  in  recognition  of 
the  self-sacrificing  services  of  the  first  president  of  the 
college,  the  improved  structure  very  appropriately  received 
the  name  Chaplin  Hall. 

In  1871,  the  college  was  opened  to  young  women  on  the 
same  terms  as  to  young  men,  the  college  offering  to  all 
students  alike  its  regular  and  select  courses. 

A  year  later,  in  July,  1872,  President  Champlin  asked  to 
be  relieved  of  the  heavy  burden  which  he  had  so  long  and 
so  successfully  carried.  The  funds  for  the  enlarged  facil- 
ities which  the  college  now  offered  had  been  secured  for 
the  most  part  by  himself,  and  the  various  improvements 
that  had  been  made  had  been  carried  forward  under  his 
personal  supervision.  Very  naturally,  at  his  time  of  life, 
he  desired  a  release  from  the  burden  of  anxiety  and  care 
which  he  had  so  heroically  borne.  The  work  to  which  he 
had  devoted  himself  with  such  singleness  of  purpose  had 
been  accomplished.  Another  and  a  younger  man  was 
needed  in  order  to  carry  the  institution  forward  along  the 
upward  way  upon  which  it  was  moving.  The  trustees, 
however,  deemed  it  advisable  that  Dr.  Champlin  should 
remain  at  his  post  a  year  longer,  and  he  acceded  to  their 
request.  Faithfully  he  served  the  college  during  this 
added  year,  and  then,  having  completed  thirty-two  years 


372  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

of  untiring  labor,  he  was  relieved  of  his  task,  and  retired 
to  private  life.^  The  trustees,  in  accepting  Dr.  Champlin's 
resignation,  placed  on  record  an  expression  of  their  grat- 
itude to  Dr.  Champlin  for  the  long-continued,  diligent  and 
laborious  services  which  he  had  rendered  as  an  instructor, 
and  for  the  singular  devotedness  to  the  general  interests 
and  welfare  of  the  University  which  he  had  manifested. 

Dr.  Champlin  was  succeeded  in  the  presidency,  in  1873, 
by  Henry  E.  Robins,  D.  D.,  who  at  the  time  of  his  elec- 
tion was  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  church  in  Rochester, 
N.  Y.  His  qualifications  for  the  position  were  many. 
With  educational  problems  he  had  for  some  time  been 
busy.  Possessing  a  keen,  vigorous  intellect,  he  delighted 
in  influencing  and  stimulating  young  men  and  young 
women  seeking  an  education.  He  felt  the  importance  of 
right  thinking  in  order  to  right  living,  and  no  place 
seemed  to  offer  to  him  such  facilities  for  Christian  service 
as  a  Christian  college.  Alert,  energetic,  magnetic,  he 
impressed  everyone  with  the  earnestness  and  seriousness 
of  his  high  purpose  in  life  and  with  the  desire  to  awaken 
and  cultivate  such  a  purpose  in  others. 

At  once  President  Robins  placed  himself  in  sympathetic 
touch  with  the  churches  in  the  State.  He  possessed  not 
only  an  attractive  personality,  but  rare  gifts  in  public 
address.  For  several  years  the  number  of  students  in  the 
college  had  averaged  less  than  fifty.  The  number  soon 
began  to  enlarge,  interest  in  the  college  being  awakened 
not  merely  because  of  the  better  facilities  which  it  afforded 
for  obtaining  an  education,  but  also  because  of  the  attrac- 
tive qualities  of  its  president. 

*  In  1874,  Dr.  Champlin  removed  to  Portland,  which  was  henceforth  his  home.  Here  he 
devoted  himself  to  various  literary  labors,  and  here  he  ended  his  earthly  life  March  15, 
1882.  Mr.  H.  W.  Richardson,  editor  of  the  Portland  Advertiser,  and  a  graduate  of  the 
college,  said  :  "The  service  which  Dr.  Champlin  rendered  to  the  college  and  to  his  gener- 
ation is  not  measured  or  even  indicated  by  a  list  of  his  published  works.  He  was  not 
merely,  or  even  primarily,  a  literary  man.  He  was  pre-eminently  a  man  of  affairs,— a 
man  who  would  naturally  have  become  a  great  merchant  or  a  successful  politician.  His 
tendencies  were  all  practical.  He  edited  Greek  and  Latin  text-books,  because,  in  the 
place  where  he  found  himself,  that  was  the  thing  to  do.  When  he  left  the  professorship 
of  ancient  languages,  he  turned  to  other  studies  without  regret,  and  with  the  same 
industry  and  sound  appreciation  of  the  requirements  of  his  new  position." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  373 

New  life  was  infused  into  all  the  departments  of  instruc- 
tion. Activity  everywhere  was  manifested.  The  cur- 
riculum was  enlarged,  elective  courses  of  study  were 
introduced,  and  under  the  inspiring  direction  of  the  presi- 
dent the  college  became  a  scene  of  busy  endeavor  on  the 
part  of  the  faculty  and  students.  New  and  better  equip- 
ment was  added.  The  South  College  was  remodeled  and 
made  more  convenient  for  dormitory  purposes.  Attention 
was  paid  to  physical  training  as  well  as  to  the  training  of 
the  intellect.  The  library  was  placed  under  the  charge 
of  Prof.  Edward  W.  Hall,  and  through  his  intelligent, 
careful,  unremitting  labors  soon  reached  such  a  degree 
of  excellence  that  Hon.  John  Eaton,  the  United  States 
Commissioner  of  Education,  who  visited  the  college  in 
1877,  made  honorable  mention  of  the  library  in  his  annual 
report. 

In  1879,  the  college  enrolled  157  students.  April  2, 1879, 
Mr.  Colby  died,  and  in  his  will  he  bequeathed  to  the  col- 
lege $120,000,  $20,000  of  which  was  to  be  set  aside  as  a 
scholarship  fund  for  needy  students.  By  this  generous 
sum  the  benefactions  of  Mr.  Colby  to  the  college  were 
increased  to  the  amount  of  $200,000.  But  this  did  not  rep- 
resent Mr.  Colby's  financial  assistance  to  the  institution. 
Others  were  influenced  by  him  to  add  to  the  resources  of 
the  college.  It  was  not  merely  his  example,  but  in  many 
cases  his  earnest,  enthusiastic  presentation  of  the  needs 
of  the  college  which  brought  many  thousands  of  dollars 
into  the  college  treasury.  President  Robins,  at  the  com- 
mencement in  1879,  in  his  baccalaureate  sermon,  paid  a 
eloquent  tribute  to  the  memory  of  Mr.  Colby. 

By  labors  the  most  arduous  and  intense,  the  health  of 
President  Robins  was  at  length  seriously  impaired.  He 
had  literally  sacrificed  his  life  in  his  whole-hearted  devo- 
tion to  the  interests  of  the  college,  and  in  1880-81,  he 
was  compelled  to  withdraw  from  the  duties  which  he  had 
assumed  in  order  to  find  needed  rest  and  recuperation. 
This  in  a  measure  was  secured,  but  only  in  a  measure. 
He  returned  to  his  task,  but  it  was  soon  evident  that  he 


374  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

must  have  an  entire  release  from  the  care  and  responsi- 
bihties  of  the  presidency,  and  reluctantly  he  presented  his 
resignation,  to  take  effect  at  the  close  of  the  college  year 
1881-82.  With  very  great  regret  the  trustees  yielded  to 
the  president's  request.^ 

A  successor  to  Dr.  Robins  was  found  in  George  Dana 
Boardman  Pepper,  D.  D. ,  professor  of  theology  in  Crozer 
Theological  Seminary.  Dr.  Pepper  was  not  a  stranger 
in  Maine.  He  was  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Water- 
ville,  1860-1865.  With  intellectual  gifts  of  the  highest 
order,  familiar  with  educational  work  and  especially  with 
the  work  at  Colby,  he  was  summoned  back  to  Maine 
for  added  service.  The  choice  was  a  wise  one.  Dr.  Pep- 
per had  at  once  the  confidence  of  the  denomination,  and 
with  the  hearty  co-operation  of  his  associates  in  the  fac- 
ulty he  entered  upon  his  task  with  entire  singleness  of  aim 
and  the  most  thorough  devotion  to  the  cause  of  Christian 
education.  During  his  administration  the  institution  con- 
tinued in  its  upward  way.  Larger  financial  resources  came 
to  the  college.  Ex-Gov.  Abner  Coburn  died  Jan.  4,  1885. 
For  forty  years  he  had  been  a  trustee  of  Colby,  succeeding 
his  honored  father,  and  for  the  last  eleven  years  of  his  life 
he  was  chairman  of  the  board.  For  many  years  he  had 
been  a  generous  benefactor  of  the  college,  and  by  his  will 
he  added  to  these  benefactions  the  munificent  sum  of 
$200,000.  This  generous  gift  to  the  college  was  accom- 
panied by  other  gifts  to  various  missionary,  educational 
and  charitable  institutions,  the  various  bequests  amount- 
ing to  upwards  of  eleven  hundred  thousand  dollars.  "It 
was  clearly  his  supreme  wish,"  wrote  Dr.  Ricker,  "that 
what  of  his  estate  could  be  reasonably  spared  for  objects 
of  Christian  benevolence  should  be  made  to  tell  to  the 

*  Dr.  Robins  removed  to  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  made  professor  of  Christian 
ethics  in  the  Rochester  Theological  Seminary,  but  although  this  relation  continued  until 
1903,  Dr.  Robins'  health  did  not  permit  him  to  perform  the  duties  of  his  office.  Only  at 
rare  intervals  has  he  returned  to  Waterville,  but  when  he  has  found  it  possible  to  make 
his  way  back  to  the  scene  of  his  heroic  efforts,  he  has  received  from  the  friends  and 
alumni  of  Colby  a  most  enthusiastic  and  appreciative  welcome.  At  no  time  has  he 
ceased  to  keep  in  closest  touch  with  the  college. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  375 

utmost  upon  the  welfare  of  the  race";^  and  Dr.  Ricker 
adds  concerning  Governor  Coburn's  gift  to  the  college : 
"Had  his  last  and  largest  gift  to  it  never  been  made,  he 
would  still  have  been  remembered  as  one  of  its  stanchest 
and  most  efficient  patrons.  But  that  gift  was  simply  mon- 
umental, and  fitly  crowned  all  his  previous  services  for  the 
college."'" 

During  the  administration  of  President  Pepper,  the 
number  of  young  lady  students  increased  so  largely  that 
it  became  necessary  to  make  some  provision  for  suitable 
dormitory  accommodations,  and  the  dwelling  on  College 
avenue,  occupied  by  Professor  Briggs  in  the  earlier  history 
of  the  institution,  was  secured  by  the  college  for  this  pur- 
pose in  1886. 

In  order  to  promote  the  efficiency  of  the  college,  new 
professorships  were  added  as  the  financial  means  of  the 
college  warranted,  and  in  various  ways  the  equipment  of 
the  college  was  greatly  strengthened.  But  the  burden 
which  the  work  of  administration  placed  upon  the  presi- 
dent proved  too  heavy  even  for  one  so  strong  in  physical 
resources  as  President  Pepper,  and  in  1889,  failing  health, 
as  in  the  case  of  President  Robins,  compelled  him  to  pre- 
sent his  resignation  in  order  to  obtain  needed  relief.  With 
great  reluctance  it  was  accepted.  The  burden  which  the 
presidency  imposed.  Dr.  Pepper  believed,  should  be  laid 
upon  a  younger  man,  and  he  suggested  the  appointment  of 
Prof.  Albion  W.  Small,  then  occupying  the  chair  of  history 
in  the  college ;  and  he  was  accordingly  made  Dr.  Pepper's 
successor. 

Dr.  Small,  a  graduate  of  the  college  in  the  class  of  1876, 
was  the  first  graduate  of  Colby  who  was  made  the  head  of 
the  college.  He  entered  upon  the  duties  of  his  office  in 
August,  1889.  One  of  his  earliest  acts  was  to  preside  at 
the  laying  of  the  comer  stone  of  the  Shannon  Observa- 
tory and  Physical  Laboratory,  a  building  made  possible 
by  the  generous  gift  of  Col.  Richard  C.  Shannon  of  New 

'  Personal  RecollectionB,  p.  326. 
*  Personal  KucoUections,  p.  32C. 


376  HISTORY  OP  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

York,  of  the  class  of  1862,  who  provided  for  the  entire 
cost  of  the  building,  $15,000.  Colonel  Shannon  was  not 
able  to  be  present,  and  Prof.  E.  W.  Hall  paid  a  well- 
deserved  tribute  to  the  donor  of  the  new  building,  "who 
by  this  generous  gift,  and  still  more  by  his  high  personal 
character,  has  proved  himself  an  honor  and  an  ornament 
to  his  alma  mater."  The  college  library  at  this  time  was 
enriched  by  fourteen  hundred  and  fifty-six  volumes,  a 
bequest  of  Prof.  Charles  E.  Hamlin,  of  Harvard  Univer- 
sity, formerly  a  professor  at  Colby,  who  thus  attested  his 
love  for  his  own  college  and  his  abiding  interest  in  its  wel- 
fare. 

During  Dr.  Pepper's  administration  changes  were  sug- 
gested in  the  matter  of  college  discipline.  Early  in  Dr. 
SmalFs  presidency  these  changes  were  carefully  matured, 
and  a  board  of  conference  was  appointed  consisting  of  the 
president,  two  members  of  the  faculty,  four  members  of 
the  senior  class,  three  of  the  junior  class,  two  of  the 
sophomore  class  and  one  of  the  freshman  class,  the  under- 
graduate members  being  appointed  by  their  respective 
classes.  Committees  of  the  board  were  appointed,  the 
committee  of  students  being  regarded  as  the  authorized 
medium  of  communication  between  the  students  and  the 
faculty  upon  all  subjects  of  common  interest  which  stu- 
dents for  any  reason  preferred  to  present  through  their 
representatives  rather  than  individually. 

Reference  has  already  been  made  to  the  large  increase 
in  the  number  of  young  ladies  who  had  availed  themselves 
of  the  open  door  at  Colby.  At  the  meeting  of  the  trus- 
tees in  connection  with  the  annual  commencement  in  1890, 
President  Small  made  to  the  board  of  trustees  the  follow- 
ing recommendations,  which  were  adopted : 

(a)  That  the  board  adopt  the  purpose  of  organizing 
within  the  university  a  college  for  young  men  and  a  sec- 
ond co-ordinate  college  for  young  women. 

(6)  That  the  conditions  of  scholarship  for  entrance  to 
Colby  be  absolutely  identical  in  the  two  colleges. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  377 

(c)  That  as  soon  as  the  income  of  the  university  will 
permit,  instruction  in  the  different  branches  pursued  in 
common  by  the  young  men  and  the  young  women  be  given 
to  the  students  in  each  college  separately,  except  in  the 
case  of  lectures,  which  would  be  given  to  the  students  of 
both  colleges  simultaneously,  and  excepting  also  labora- 
tory work,  in  which  pupils  are  engaged  upon  individual 
problems. 

(d)  That  in  the  further  development  of  the  elective 
system  due  attention  be  paid  to  the  expansion  of  courses 
likely  to  be  of  special  attractiveness  to  members  of  the 
one  college  or  the  other.  I  refer,  on  the  one  hand,  to 
courses  in  natural  and  political  sciences,  and,  on  the  other 
hand,  to  courses  in  language,  literature,  aesthetics  and 
history. 

(e)  That  in  case  the  students  in  one  of  the  colleges 
should  in  any  study  not  be  numerous  enough  to  form  a 
separate  division,  they  be  admitted  to  recitation  with  the 
corresponding  division  in  the  other  college. 

(f)  That  in  class  organization,  rank,  prize  contests, 
appointments  and  honors  the  members  of  the  two  colleges 
be  treated  as  independently  as  though  they  were  in  dis- 
tinct institutions. 

(g)  That  the  faculty  be  authorized  to  begin  this  reor- 
ganization with  the  class  that  shall  enter  in  1890,  pro- 
vided it  can  be  done  without  additional  expense. 

The  wisdom  of  this  new  departure  was  questioned  by 
some  of  the  graduates  and  friends  of  the  college,  but 
prominent  educators  in  various  parts  of  the  country  at 
once  gave  to  it  their  cordial  approval.  The  next  college 
catalogue  contained  these  words,  evidently  expressive  of 
the  views  of  President  Small:  "It  is  believed  that  the 
plan  of  co-education  to  which  Colby  is  now  committed  will 
prove  in  practice  to  be  a  more  important  extension  of  the 
usefulness  of  the  university  than  was  the  admission  of 
young  women,  in  1871,  to  classes  composed  chiefly  of 
young  men."  The  subsequent  history  of  the  college  man- 
ifestly fully  justifies  this  forecast. 


378  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

About  this  time  President  Harper,  of  the  new  Univer- 
sity of  Chicago,  turned  his  eyes  in  this  direction,  and  Pres- 
ident Small  was  elected  head-professor  of  the  department 
of  sociology  in  that  institution.  The  appointment  was  an 
attractive  one,  and  Dr.  Small  resigned  in  order  to  accept 
it.  This  resignation  brought  great  disappointment  to  the 
friends  of  the  college.  During  President  Small's  adminis- 
tration the  number  of  students  had  considerably  increased. 
In  1891,  there  were  184  students  connected  with  the  col- 
lege, a  larger  number  than  in  any  previous  year  in  its  his- 
tory. The  number  of  young  ladies  at  Colby  was  so  large 
that  another  dwelling  house,  and  a  part  of  the  former  res- 
idence of  President,  Champlin,  had  been  opened  to  them 
for  dormitory  purposes.  The  college  was  in  a  most  pros- 
perous condition,  and  the  friends  of  the  college  had  hoped 
that  Dr.  Small  would  remain  at  the  head  of  Colby  many 
years. 

But  his  acceptance  of  the  important  position  now  ten- 
dered to  him  made  a  new  appointment  at  Wateryille  a 
necessity,  and  a  successor  to  President  Small  was  found  in 
Rev.  B.  L.  Whitman,  then  pastor  of  the  Free  St.  Baptist 
church,  Portland.  Like  President  Champlin,  Mr.  Whit- 
man was  a  graduate  of  Brown  University.  The  presi- 
dency of  Colby  seemed  to  offer  to  him  a  place  for  enlarged 
usefulness,  and  he  accepted  the  appointment.  In  the  first 
year  of  his  presidency  the  number  of  students  was  206. 
At  no  time  in  the  previous  history  of  the  college  had  the 
number  reached  two  hundred.  In  the  women's  division  of 
the  college  there  were  56  students. 

University  extension  work  was  now  undertaken.  There 
had  been  frequent  calls  upon  the  faculty  of  Colby  for 
lectures  and  addresses.  It  was  believed  that  in  many 
communities  both  men  and  women  would  gladly  avail 
themselves  of  such  lectures  and  addresses,  and  the  uni- 
versity extension  work  of  Colby  was  placed  in  charge  of  a 
committee  of  the  faculty.  Courses  in  art,  language,  his- 
tory, science,  etc.,  were  announced,  and  these  not  only 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  379 

attracted    attention,    but  were   exceedingly  popular   for 
awhile. 

In  1893,  the  gymnasium  was  remodeled  and  improved, 
the  changes  adapting  it  to  its  important  uses  in  physical 
training.  Such  training  now  received  added  attention, 
under  the  direction  of  a  suitable  instructor. 

At  the  annual  commencement  of  the  college  in  1894, 
the  graduating  class  of  forty  members  was  the  largest  in 
the  history  of  Colby.  The  entering  class  in  the  follow- 
ing September  numbered  80,  and  the  entire  enrollment 
was  240.  By  his  addresses  and  pulpit  discourses.  Presi- 
dent Whitman  soon  made  his  strong  personality  felt  in  all 
parts  of  the  State,  and  beyond  its  borders.  In  every  way 
he  was  proving  himself  a  worthy  successor  to  the  able  men 
who  had  hitherto  served  the  college  in  the  presidency, 
when,  in  the  spring  of  1895,  he  was  elected  president  of 
Columbian  University,  Washington,  D.  C.  His  acceptance 
was  naturally  regarded  by  many  of  the  friends  of  the  col- 
lege as  little  short  of  a  calamity.  His  term  of  office  was 
less  than  that  of  any  of  his  immediate  predecessors,  but 
the  call  to  Washington  seemed  to  him  to  open  a  still  larger 
sphere  of  usefulness,  and  the  college  was  again  left  with- 
out a  head. 

A  successor  to  President  Whitman  was  found  in  Prof. 
Nathaniel  Butler  of  the  University  of  Chicago.  Prof.  But- 
ler was  a  graduate  of  Colby,  class  of  1873.  His  life  since 
his  graduation  had  been  spent  in  the  West.  For  many 
years  he  had  been  professor  of  Latin  in  the  University  of 
Illinois  at  Champaign,  111.  When  Dr.  Harper  was  organ- 
izing the  new  University  of  Chicago,  he  called  Professor 
Butler  to  his  aid.  As  the  seventy-fifth  anniversary  of  the 
founding  of  Colby  University  drew  near.  Professor  Butler 
was  selected  to  deliver  the  address  in  connection  with 
this  anniversary.  At  commencement  in  1895,  he  came  to 
Waterville  to  perform  this  service.  Nearly  a  quarter  of  a 
century  had  passed  since  his  own  graduation,  and  Prof. 
Butler  was  a  stranger  personally  to  many  of  the  friends  of 


380  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

the  college.  There  was  a  very  large  attendance.  The 
service  was  held  on  July  3d,  in  the  open  air  on  the  college 
campus,  south  of  the  so-called  Boardman  Willows.  So 
favorable  an  impression  did  this  address  make  upon  the 
alumni  and  friends  of  the  college,  that  it  was  the  general 
remark,  "Why  need  the  trustees  look  any  further?" 
They  did  not  look  any  further,  and  the  election  of  Prof. 
Butler  followed.  President  Harper,  however,  was  unwill- 
ing to  surrender  such  an  efficient  helper,  and  for  awhile 
it  seemed  doubtful  if  the  college  would  be  successful  in  its 
endeavor  to  secure  the  services  of  Prof.  Butler.  But  the 
claims  of  alma  mater  were  loyally  recognized,  and  Prof. 
Butler's  acceptance  was  at  length  received. 

President  Butler  entered  upon  the  duties  of  his  office  in 
January,  1896.  A  strong  and  united  spirit  of  devotion 
and  enthusiasm  pervaded  all  the  classes,  and  the  faculty 
and  student  body  worked  together  for  the  upbuilding  of 
the  college. 

Colby  had  graduated  scholars  who  had  distinguished 
themselves  in  the  various  learned  professions,  but  the  Phi 
Beta  Kappa  Society,  the  well-known  society  of  scholars  in 
the  United  States,  organized  at  William  and  Mary  College 
at  Williamsburg,  Va.,  in  1776,  had  not  received  to  its 
membership  any  of  the  graduates  of  Colby  unless  elected 
in  some  other  college  where  the  Society  had  a  chapter.  At 
the  fifth  Triennial  Council  of  the  Society,  held  at  Saratoga 
Springs,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  11,  1895,  a  charter  was  granted  to 
Colby.  At  the  first  meeting  of  the  Society  President  But- 
ler was  chosen  president  and  Professor  Rogers,  secretary. 
Several  meetings  were  held  during  the  next  few  weeks. 
February  26th,  the  work  of  organization  was  completed* 
and  one  hundred  and  ninety-seven  of  the  graduates  of  the 
college,  upon  the  ascertained  record  of  their  rank  while 
students  at  Colby,  were  elected  to  membership  in  the 
chapter,  known  as  the  Beta  of  Maine. 

After  President  Butler  entered  upon  his  work  at  Colby  a 
beginning  was  at  once  made  of  an  effort  to  secure  added 
funds  for  enlarged  equipment  and  additional  endowment. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  381 

Rev.  N.  T.  Button  was  made  financial  secretary  of  the 
college,  and  entered  upon  the  task  of  raising  $60,000. 
The  appeal  largely  was  made  to  the  alumni  and  the  Bap- 
tists of  Maine,  the  American  Baptist  Education  Society 
promising  a  grant  of  $15,000,  provided  the  friends  of  the 
college  would  raise  $45,000.  From  nearly  six  hundred  sub- 
scribers, the  subscriptions  ranging  from  $1.00  to  $5,000, 
the  amount  of  $51,000  was  received,  thus  securing  the 
conditional  gift  of  the  American  Baptist  Education  Soci- 
ety. By  the  terms  of  the  subscription  one-half  of  the 
amount  thus  raised  was  added  to  the  endowment  of  the 
college.  About  $30,000  were  appropriated  for  the  erection 
of  a  chemical  laboratory.  While  this  building,  for  which 
the  alumni  of  the  college  had  generously  contributed,  was 
in  process  of  erection,  a  gift  of  $25,000  was  received  from 
one  of  the  trustees,  and  already  a  generous  benefactor  of 
the  college,  Hon.  Chester  W.  Kingsley  of  Cambridge, 
Mass.  The  chemical  building  was  dedicated  at  the  com- 
mencement in  June,  1899. 

Meanwhile  the  South  College  was  thoroughly  renovated, 
a  steam  heating  plant  was  instituted  and  sanitary  arrange- 
ments were  secured. 

But  Colby  was  not  a  university,  and  it  had  no  univer- 
sity aspirations.  It  was  accordingly  thought  by  many  of 
its  graduates  and  friends  that  the  name  of  the  college  did 
not  rightly  characterize  its  well-known  educational  aims. 
President  Butler  had  strong  convictions  in  reference  to 
the  matter,  and  at  his  suggestion,  and  by  vote  of  the 
trustees  of  the  college,  application  was  made  to  the  Legis- 
lature of  Maine  for  a  change  of  the  misleading  title.  This 
was  granted  by  an  act  approved  by  the  governor  Jan.  25, 
1899,  and  Colby  University  became  Colby  College. 

But  still  the  funds  of  the  college,  with  the  lessening 
rates  of  interest  and  the  increased  expenses  of  the  college, 
were  insufficient  to  meet  its  needs.  Plans  for  a  move- 
ment to  secure  additional  funds  were  accordingly  made, 
the  American  Baptist  Education  Society  making  a  condi- 
tional offer  of  a  grant  of  $15,000,  provided  $60,000  addi- 


382  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

tional  were  secured  for  the  college  and  its  allied  academies, 
the  college  to  receive  not  less  than  $25,000.  Suddenly, 
Nov.  5,  1900,  while  engaged  in  the  work  of  raising  this 
amount,  the  financial  secretary.  Rev.  N.  T.  Button,  died. 
Rev.  C.  E.  Owen  was  made  his  successor  in  this  office, 
and  by  him  the  work  commenced  by  Mr.  Button  was  at 
length  brought  to  a  successful  completion. 

But  another  change  in  the  presidency  soon  followed, 
President  Butler  accepting  an  urgent  call  to  return  to  the 
University  of  Chicago.  His  resignation,  to  take  effect  at 
the  close  of  the  college  year  1900-1,  was  received  with 
deep  regret.  Br.  Butler  had  served  the  college  with 
signal  ability  and  devotion.  Not  only  in  Waterville,  but 
throughout  the  State  and  beyond  its  borders  he  had  made 
many  strong  friends  for  the  college,  and  it  was  hoped  that 
his  services  might  still  be  retained.  But  his  decision  was 
final,  and  it  became  necessary  for  the  trustees  to  secure 
another  president. 

A  successor  was  found  in  Rev.  Charles  L.  White,  a 
graduate  of  Brown  University  (class  of  1887)  and  of  New- 
ton Theological  Institution  (class  of  1890).  He  had  held 
pastorates  at  Great  Falls  and  Nashua,  N.  H.,  and  when 
called  to  the  presidency  of  Colby  was  secretary  of  the 
New  Hampshire  Baptist  Convention.  In  entering  upon 
his  new  duties  President  White  directed  his  attention 
largely  to  the  financial  problems  which  the  increased 
expenditures  and  lessening  income  of  the  college,  not- 
withstanding the  recent  efforts  to  increase  its  funds,  ren- 
dered imperative.  These  problems  were  not  easily  solved, 
but  the  president  and  his  associates  on  the  prudential 
committee  addressed  themselves  to  their  task  with  faith 
and  courage,  securing  results  that  were  exceedingly  grati- 
fying to  the  board  of  trustees. 

Hon.  Percival  Bonney  of  Portland,  who  had  served  the 
college  as  treasurer  for  twenty-one  consecutive  years,  pre- 
sented his  resignation  at  the  winter  meeting  of  the  trus- 
tees in  Portland,  Jan.  16,  1902,  and  asked  to  be  relieved 
from  further  service.     The  thanks  of   the  board  were 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  383 

extended  to  Judge  Bonney  for  his  long  and  faithful  ser- 
vices in  the  discharge  of  the  duties  of  his  office,  and  a 
suitable  minute,  gratefully  recognizing  these  services,  was 
spread  upon  the  secretary's  records.  Mr.  George  K.  Bou- 
telle  of  Waterville,  a  member  of  the  board,  president  of 
the  Ticonic  National  Bank,  Waterville,  and  a  grandson 
of  Prof.  Keeley,  so  long  connected  with  Colby  College  in 
its  early  history,  was  made  Judge  Bonney's  successor. 

Hon.  J.  H.  Drummond,  who  had  served  the  college  as 
a  trustee  since  1857,  and  who  for  many  years  had  been 
chairman  of  the  board  of  trustees,  died  Oct.  25,  1902.  A 
graduate  of  the  college,  class  of  1846,  Mr.  Drummond  had 
shown,  from  the  beginning  of  his  connection  with  the 
institution,  the  most  enthusiastic  devotion  to  all  its  inter- 
ests. An  oil  portrait  of  Mr.  Drummond  was  presented  to 
the  college  at  commencement,  1903,  and  now  hangs  in 
Alumni  Hall.  Judge  Bonney  was  made  Mr.  Drummond 's 
successor  as  chairman  of  the  board. 

On  Saturday  morning,  Dec.  16,  1902,  at  a  quarter  before 
three  o'clock,  a  fire  broke  out  in  the  basement  of  Chaplin 
Hall,  one  of  the  dormitories  of  the  college.  All  the  stu- 
dents in  the  building  succeeded  in  making  their  escape, 
but  their  books,  the  furnishing  of  their  rooms,  and  other 
property  of  the  students,  were  destroyed.  The  Board  of 
Trade  of  Waterville  at  once  took  steps  for  the  relief  of  the 
students  who  were  not  able  to  bear  the  loss  and  continue 
their  college  work.  The  churches  in  Waterville  on  the  fol- 
lowing Sunday  made  a  generous  contribution  for  the  relief 
of  the  students.  The  students  of  the  University  of  Maine, 
and  of  Bowdoin  and  Bates  Colleges,  hastened  to  place  their 
gifts  at  the  disposal  of  the  students  who  had  suffered  by 
the  fire.  In  this  way  the  losses  sustained  by  the  students 
were  quickly  repaired,  and  the  ties  of  good  fellowship 
between  the  Maine  colleges  were  greatly  strengthened. 

The  insurance  upon  Chaplin  Hall  was  $5,000.  Twice 
within  a  few  years  the  Baptists  of  Maine  had  brought  in 
their  contributions  in  aid  of  the  college.  The  rebuilding  of 
Chaplin  Hall  was  a  necessity,  and  the  friends  of  the  col- 


384  HISTORY  OP  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

lege  went  to  the  Legislature,  then  in  session,  and  asked  aid 
from  the  State  in  the  emergency  that  had  arisen.  A  hear- 
ing before  the  Committee  on  Education  was  held  in  the 
capitol  in  Augusta  on  Thursday  afternoon,  Jan.  29,  1903. 
Those  who  appeared  in  behalf  of  the  college  and  addressed 
the  committee  were  Hon.  George  C.  Wing  of  Auburn,  a 
member  of  the  Senate,  President  White,  ex-President  Pep- 
per of  Waterville,  Rev.  H.  S.  Burrage,  D.  D.,  of  Portland, 
Rev.  A.  T.  Dunn,  D.  D.,  of  Waterville,  Dr.  J.  W.  Beede  of 
Auburn,  Geo.  K.  Boutelle,  Esq.,  of  Waterville,  treasurer 
of  the  college.  Rev.  C.  E.  Owen  of  Waterville,  financial 
agent  of  the  college,  Mr.  J.  H.  Ogier  of  Camden,  Rep- 
resentative Davis  of  Waterville,  W.  H.  Looney,  Esq.,  of 
Portland,  and  Leslie  C.  Cornish,  Esq.,  of  Augusta.  The 
committee  reported  a  resolve  in  favor  of  the  request,  and 
the  Legislature  appropriated  $15,000  for  the  rebuilding  of 
Chaplin  Hall.  Senator  Wing  of  Auburn  did  the  college  a 
great  service  in  connection  with  this  appropriation. 

With  the  money  thus  appropriated  by  the  State,  together 
with  the  insurance  money,  Chaplin  Hall  was  rebuilt  in  the 
summer  of  1903,  and  the  Hersey  house,  on  the  college 
grounds,  was  refitted  for  the  use  of  the  college  commons, 
now  reinstituted.  At  the  close  of  1903,  the  various  build- 
ings of  the  college  were  in  a  better  condition  than  they 
had  been  for  many  years;  and  Colby  in  every  way  was 
better  equipped  for  its  growing  work  than  ever  before. 


COURT   STREET  CHURCH,    AUBURN. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


Increasing  Interest  in  Foreign  Missions. 

The  reports  of  contributions  to  foreign  missions  from 
the  Baptist  churches  in  Maine  in  the  early  years  of  the 
enterprise  are  very  unsatisfactory.  The  locaHties  in  which 
the  contributors  resided  are  not  always  given,  and  in  the 
published  reports,  when  the  localities  are  given,  the  State, 
in  many  cases,  is  not  mentioned.  Mr.  E.  P.  Coleman, 
treasurer  emeritus  of  the  American  Baptist  Missionary 
Union,  has  made  the  following  compilation  following  a 
summary  in  the  Missionary  Magazine :  1818,  $140.00 ;  1819, 
$277.33;  1820,  $22.52;  1821,  $180.52;  1822,  $150.00;  1823, 
$73.72;  1824,  $169.55 ;  1825,  $608.25 ;  1826,  $767.09 ;  1827, 
$2,196.78;  1828,  $1,801.68;  1829,  $1,110.63. 

The  first  Maine  Baptist  to  engage  in  foreign  missionary 
service  after  George  Dana  Boardman  left  for  his  field  of 
labor  was  Miss  Sarah  Cummings^  of  Yarmouth.  She  was 
a  niece  of  Rev.  Abraham  Cummings,  already  mentioned, 
and  a  sister  of  Rev.  Asa  Cummings,  for  many  years  editor 
of  the  Christian  Mirror,  and  a  prominent  Congregation- 
alist.  Dec.  12,  1824,  just  before  the  ordination  of  Mr. 
Boardman  at  Yarmouth,  Miss  Cummings  united  with  the 
Baptist  church  in  that  place.  She  was  baptized  by  Rev. 
Solomon  Peck,  then  serving  the  Yarmouth  church  as  acting 
pastor,  but  who  afterward  was  well  known  as  correspond- 
ing secretary  of  the  Foreign  Mission  Board  of  the  old 

'  The  late  Rev.  Dr.  S.  W.  Field,  who  was  a  native  of  Yarmouth  and  knew  Miss  Cum- 
mings when  both  were  students  in  the  academy,  has  said  of  her :  "She  was  a  tall,  spare 
woman,  plain  in  feature,  and  severely  plain  in  dress,  with  a  face,  when  in  repose,  deeply 
thoughtful,  especially  when  in  earnest  study,  having  the  api>earance  of  perfect  uncon- 
sciousness to  everything  going  on  around  her,  but  in  social  life  glowing  with  a  fine  intel- 
lectual cheerfulness  and  vivacious  humor.  I  never  saw  one  more  deeply  and  religiously 
absorbed  in  study  than  she  in  her  preparation  for  her  missionary  work." 

2U 


386  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

Triennial  Convention  and  of  the  American  Baptist  Mis- 
sionary Union  from  1838  to  1856.  Miss  Cummings  united 
with  the  Yarmouth  Baptist  church  because  of  profound 
convictions,  and  it  was  not  a  Hght  load  of  reproach  that 
she  was  compelled  to  bear  on  account  of  these  convictions. 
But  in  no  wise  was  she  moved  to  do  aught  else  than  to 
follow  the  path  she  had  voluntarily  taken.  She  had  given 
her  heart  to  Christ,  and  she  sought  only  to  follow  him.  In 
the  Minutes  of  the  Cumberland  Association  for  1832,  in 
the  report  from  the  Yarmouth  Baptist  church,  mention  is 
made  of  the  honor  God  had  conferred  upon  the  church  in 
giving  it  '  'the  privilege  of  furnishing  one  foreign  mission- 
ary." The  reference  was  to  Sarah  Cummings.  How  it 
was  that  she  came  thus  to  devote  herself  to  the  work  in 
Burma  we  are  not  told.  Mr.  Boardman  died  at  Tavoy, 
Feb.  11,  1831.  As  Miss  Cummings  went  to  Burma  in  the 
following  year,  it  may  be  that  Boardman's  heroic  death, 
which  must  have  made  a  profound  impression  upon  her  as 
well  as  upon  the  other  members  of  the  Yarmouth  church, 
intensified  her  interest  in  the  wOrk  in  Burma,  and  led  to 
the  conviction  that  there  was  the  place  of  service  for  her 
also.  But  whatever  the  fact,  the  purpose  was  formed  to 
follow  the  Boardmans  to  Burma,  and  with  a  resolute  heart, 
strengthened  by  the  love  and  prayers  of  the  members  of 
the  Yarmouth  church,  Sarah  Cummings  prepared  herself 
for  the  work  and  then  turned  her  face  toward  Burma  with 
a  happy,  courageous  heart. 

She  sailed  from  Boston  June  29,  1832,  and  reached 
Burma  about  the  first  of  January,  1833.  After  conference 
with  the  missionaries  at  Moulmein  she  proceeded  to  Chum- 
merah,  on  the  Salwen  river.  Here  she  devoted  herself  to 
the  study  of  the  language  and  such  missionary  work  as 
she  could  perform  while  engaged  in  this  task.  Near  the 
close  of  her  first  year  in  Burma,  she  wrote :  ''Crosses, 
self-denial,  sufferings,  trials,  none  have  I  to  mention 
worthy  of  the  name.  The  evils  I  anticipated  have  not  yet 
been  realized,  and  a  year  happier  than  the  past  I  have 
never  seen."    But  her  labors  soon  closed.     Miss  Cum- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  387 

mings,  who  was  born  in  Andover,  Mass.,  Oct.  12,  1794, 
died  of  jungle  fever  at  Moulmein,  Aug.  1,  1834. 

An  account  of  her  work  in  Burma  was  written  in  the 
Burmese  language  by  her  teacher,  and  one  of  her  con- 
verts, Moung  Shway  Goon,  and  was  published  by  the  mis- 
sion press  at  Rangoon.  A  printed  copy  of  this  tribute  to 
the  memory  of  Miss  Cummings  reached  this  country,  but 
no  one  was  made  acquainted  with  its  contents  until  1889, 
when  the  attention  of  Rev.  W.  H.  Lane,  then  pastor  of  the 
Yarmouth  church,  was  called  to  it,  and  he  requested  Rev. 
F.  H.  Eveleth,  D.  D. ,  of  Burma,  then  temporarily  in  this 
country,  to  make  a  translation  of  it.  This  he  did,  and 
it  was  found  to  be  an  exceedingly  interesting  account 
of  Miss  Cummings'  brief  but  faithful  missionary  service 
:from  the  time  of  her  arrival  in  Moulmein  until  her  death.' 
In  this  memorial  Moung  Shway  Goon  refers  to  Miss  Cum- 
mings in  these  words :  "She  was  zealous  for  the  law,  kept 
the  joys  of  heaven  ever  before  her,  was  refined  and  gentle 
in  her  manner  and  disposition,  and,  as  to  her  deeds, 
delighted  in  the  law  of  righteousness"  ;  and  he  closes  his 
narrative  thus  :  "We  believe  she  is  in  heaven  now,  await- 
ing the  coming  of  us  all." 

The  next  to  enter  the  foreign  mission  service  was  Wil- 
liam C.  Munroe,  who,  born  in  Portland,  was  ordained  in 
New  York  City  April  2,  1835,  having  received  an  appoint- 
ment as  missionary  to  Hayti,  March  13,  1835.  He  sailed 
for  his  station  April  6,  1835,  and  arrived  at  Port  au  Prince 
May  1st  following.  In  1837,  he  returned  to  the  United 
States,  bringing  evidently  a  discouraging  report  concernr 
ing  the  work.  He  returned  to  Hayti,  but  his  resignation 
followed  Nov.  6,  1837,  and  the  mission  was  discontinued. 

About  this  time.  Ivory  Clarke  of  North  Berwick  and 
his  wife,  Lois  G.  Clarke,  were  looking  toward  Africa  as 
a  field  for  missionary  service.      Mr.  Clarke  was  born  in 

'  This  translation,  first  published  in  Zion's  Advocate  of  April  15  and  April  22.  1891. 
was  subsequently  reprinted  in  pamphlet  form,  a  tribute  of  affectionate  remembrance  by 
Rev.  Ephraim  CumminRH.  a  nephew  of  Sarah  Cumminjrs.  To  Moung  Shway  Goon's  trib- 
ute Mr.  Cummintrs  addeti  an  introductory  sketch,  and  other  mattora,  Includintr  two  letters 
which  Miss  Cumminvra  wrote  U>  her  brother  while  on  her  way  t«  Burma. 


388  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

North  Berwick,  March  8,  1807 ;  was  graduated  at  Water- 
ville  College  in  1834,  and  at  Newton  Theological  Institu- 
tion in  1837.  He  received  his  appointment  from  the  board 
April  3,  1837,  and  was  ordained  at  North  Berwick  Sept. 
12,  1837.  Dec.  3,  1837,  with  his  wife,  he  sailed  from  New 
York  for  Liberia,  Africa.  They  were  stationed  from  1838 
to  1845  at  Bexley,  and  from  1845  to  1848  at  Edina.  Dur- 
ing his  ten  years*  service  in  Africa  Mr.  Clarke  prepared  a 
dictionary  of  the  Bassa  language.  He  died  at  sea,  on  his 
way  to  the  United  States,  April  24,  1848.  Mrs.  Clarke 
returned  to  this  country,  and  died  May  3,  1888. 

Mrs.  Fidelia  Coburn  Brooks  also  went  to  Africa  for 
missionary  service,  but  as  her  work  was  largely  on  the 
home  field,  an  account  of  her  labors  will  be  given  in  the 
following  chapter. 

The  next  to  hear  the  call  to  service  in  the  foreign  field 
was  Lyman  Jewett.  He  was  born  at  Waterford,  March 
9,  1813,  was  graduated  at  Brown  University  in  1843  and 
at  Newton  Theological  Institution  in  1846.  For  awhile, 
as  a  supply,  he  served  the  Baptist  church  in  Webster, 
Mass.  But  it  was  his  purpose  to  engage  in  foreign  mis- 
sionary work,  and  having  received  an  appointment  from 
the  American  Baptist  Missionary  Union  in  1847,  he  was 
assigned  to  service  in  connection  with  the  Telugu  Mission 
in  India.  Mr.  Jewett  was  ordained  in  Boston  Oct.  6,  1848, 
and  sailed  from  Boston,  with  Mrs.  Jewett,  Oct.  10,  1848. 
He  was  stationed  at  Nellore  from  1848  to  1873,  and  at 
Madras  from  1878  to  1885.  Already,  when  Mr.  Jewett 
went  to  India,  the  question  of  the  abandonment  of  the 
mission  had  been  raised,  so  unresponsive  were  the  Telugus 
to  the  teachings  of  the  missionaries.  The  question  was 
again  raised  in  1853  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Mis- 
sionary Union  in  Albany,  N.  Y.  One  of  those  who  took 
part  in  the  discussion  at  that  meeting,  presumably  Rev. 
Edward  Bright,  D.  D.,  one  of  the  secretaries  of  the  Union, 
said  he  would  never  write  the  letter  calling  for  the  blot- 
ting out  of  the  "Lone  Star"  on  the  map  of  India.  Rev. 
S.  F.  Smith  was  so  impressed  by  these  words  that  in  the 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  389 

following  night  he  wrote  his  famous  hymn,  "The  Lone 
Star,"  commencing 

"Shine  on  'Lone  Star  !'  thy  radiance  bright 
Shall  spread  o'er  all  the  eastern  sky," 

and  read  it  at  the  meeting  the  next  morning,  when  it  was 
resolved  to  continue  the  mission.  At  the  meeting  of  the 
Union  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  in  1862,  this  question  was 
again  considered,  and  it  was  decided  to  await  the  return  of 
Dr.  Jewett,  then  on  his  way  to  this  country  on  account  of 
impaired  health.  When  the  question  was  brought  to  the 
attention  of  Dr.  Jewett,  he  stoutly  opposed  the  abandon- 
ment of  the  mission.  "Well,  Brother  Jewett,"  said  Dr. 
Warren,  the  foreign  secretary  of  the  Union,  "if  you  are 
resolved  to  return  to  India,  we  must  send  some  one  with 
you  to  give  you  a  Christian  burial  in  that  heathen  land." 
The  story  of  the  Ongole  prayer  meeting  in  1854,  of  the 
reinforcement  that  came  to  this  mission  in  the  appoint- 
ment of  John  E.  Clough  in  1864,  and  of  the  great  ingather- 
ing in  1878  in  connection  with  the  work  of  the  Telugu 
mission,  is  too  well  known  to  be  repeated  here.  In  addi- 
tion to  his  missionary  labors,  Dr.  Jewett  translated  the 
New  Testament  into  the  Telugu  language,  and  his  trans- 
lation is  still  in  use  in  our  Telugu  mission.  Dr.  Jewett 
returned  to  this  country  in  1885,  and  his  remaining  years 
were  spent  in  Fitchburg,  Mass.     He  died  Jan.  7,  1897. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Convention  at  East 
Winthrop,  June  17,  1845,  Rev.  William  Dean,  a  mission- 
ary to  China,  temporarily  in  this  country,  was  present,  the 
first  missionary  from  the  foreign  field  to  appear  at  one  of 
our  Maine  Baptist  anniversaries.  He  "presented  a  pun- 
gent and  deeply  interesting  appeal"  in  behalf  of  foreign 
missions,  and  it  was  recommended  to  the  several  associa- 
tions by  the  Convention  that  "they  raise  funds  for  the 
support  of  as  many  foreign  missionaries  and  native  assist- 
ants as  they  possibly  can,  and  that  the  money  be  collected 
between  the  sessions  of  the  several  associations  and  the 
first  of  October,  1846."    It  was  also  proposed  by  Rev. 


390  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

L.  B.  Allen  that  one  thousand  dollars  be  raised,  in  shares 
of  twenty-five  dollars  each,  for  the  purpose  of  sending 
out  a  new  missionary  as  a  reinforcement  to  some  one  of 
our  Asiatic  missions,  payable  within  a  month  after  the 
board  shall  give  notice  that  a  missionary  is  ready  to  go. 
A  large  amount  was  pledged  on  the  spot.  This  was  fol- 
lowed, according  to  the  Minutes,  by  a  deeply  interesting 
discussion,  in  the  course  of  which  the  fact  came  out  that 
a  brother  in  the  house,  a  pastor  of  one  of  the  Maine 
churches,  was  ready  to  go  to  the  foreign  field,  provided  he 
could  be  sent ;  and  others  in  the  State,  it  was  added,  had 
a  like  purpose. 

How  greatly  the  contributions  of  the  Baptists  of  Maine 
for  foreign  missions  were  increased  from  1830  to  1845, 
appears  in  the  following  table : 


1830, 

$1,191.63 

1838, 

$1,142.89 

1831, 

775.22 

1839, 

2,005.61 

1832, 

1,045.27 

1840, 

3,178.53 

1833, 

1,161.88 

1841, 

1,466.81 

1834, 

1,548.15 

1842, 

1,553.43 

1835, 

1,522.92 

1843, 

1,303.00 

1836, 

1,592.16 

1844, 

3,420.44 

1837, 

2,775.45 

1845, 

3,368.27 

Adoniram  Judson,  D.  D. ,  on  his  first  return  to  this  coun- 
try, arrived  in  Boston  Oct.  15,  1845.  On  the  return  voy- 
age he  had  buried  at  St.  Helena  his  wife,  Sarah  Boardman 
Judson,  who  died  on  shipboard,  near  that  island,  Sept.  1, 
1845.  In  order  to  visit  the  Boardmans  Dr.  Judson  came  to 
Maine.  He  reached  Bath  the  latter  part  of  March,  1846. 
On  a  raw,  chilly  afternoon  the  stage  stopped  at  a  house  on 
High  street,  near  Oak,  now  known  as  the  Gannett  house, 
but  then  the  home  of  the  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church, 
Rev.  Handel  G.  Nott.  A  stranger  alighted,  and  walking 
slowly  up  to  the  door  inquired  for  Mr.  Nott,  saying,  *'My 
name  is  Judson.  I  have  stopped  in  Bath  to  see  Mr.  Nott, 
as  he  bears  the  name,  and  I  have  learned  from  mutual 
friends  in  Boston  is  a  cousin,  of  Rev.  Samuel  Nott,  who 
went  to  India  with  me."    Mr.  Nott,  however,  was  not  in 


FIRST   CHURCH,    WATERVILLE. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  391 

town.  Dr.  Judson  expressed  great  disappointment,  but 
accepted  an  earnest  invitation  to  spend  the  night  in  Mr. 
Nott's  home.  After  tea  he  consented  to  meet  a  few  Chris- 
tian friends.  Mr.  Nott's  sons,  Richard  and  Kingman, 
were  sent  to  summon  some  of  the  members  of  the  Baptist 
church ;  also  to  the  lecture  rooms  of  the  Congregational 
churches,  where  meetings  were  held  that  evening,  with 
messages  for  the  pastors  and  deacons.  As  soon  as  possi- 
ble those  thus  summoned  hastened  to  the  home  of  Mr. 
Nott,  eager  to  meet  the  "American  apostle"  of  whom  they 
had  heard  so  much,  but  whom  they  had  never  expected  to 
see  in  the  flesh.  Dr.  Judson,  as  unpretentious  as  a  little 
child,  received  them  in  the  northeast  front  room  with  a 
pleasant  greeting,  and  said  a  few  words  to  the  little  com- 
pany, diverting  attention  from  himself  to  the  condition  of 
the  heathen  and  to  the  commission  given  by  his  and  their 
Lord  to  promulgate  the  gospel  among  all  peoples.  But 
the  little  company  saw  that  he  was  weary,  and  felt  that 
they  ought  not  to  tarry.  They  went  away,  however,  not 
as  they  came,  but  sadly,  some  in  tears,  with  slow  step, 
glancing  backward  for  one  more  look  at  the  good  man, 
and  like  the  friends  of  another  Paul,  "sorrowing  most  of 
all    .    .    .    that  they  should  see  his  face  no  more. "  ^ 

From  Bath  Dr.  Judson  proceeded  to  Waterville,  where 
he  remained  over  Sunday.  He  was  present  at  the  service 
in  the  church  in  the  morning,  but  his  physician  had  for- 
bidden his  addressing  a  large  audience.  He  consented, 
however,  to  address  the  students  at  the  college  Sunday 
afternoon.  Rev.  A.  K.  P.  Small,  D.  D.,  was  then  in  the 
first  year  of  his  college  course  and  retains  a  very  distinct 
recollection  of  that  memorable  hour  as  the  students  assem- 
bled in  one  of  the  recitation  rooms  at  the  college  and  Dr. 
Judson,  standing  in  the  midst,  addressed  them.  "The 
crowded  room  was  hushed  into  the  most  death-like  still- 
ness in  order  that  not  a  syllable  should  be  lost  to  any 
ear;  and  as  the  low,  earnest,  melodious  tones  fell  upon 

'  From  an  account  in  Zion's  Advocate  communicated  by  a  member  of  Mr.  Nott'a  family. 


392  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

US,  it  seemed  hardly  sacrilegious  to  be  reminded  of  the 
'still  small  voice*  that  addressed  the  prophet  Elijah." ^  Of 
course  the  topic  Dr.  Judson  pressed  upon  the  attention  of 
those  who  so  eagerly  listened  to  him  was  the  claims  of 
foreign  missions.  There  was  no  appeal  to  romantic  sen- 
timent. "I  have  seen  so  much  of  the  trials  and  responsi- 
bility of  missionary  labors,"  he  said,  ''that  I  am  unwilling 
to  urge  anyone  to  assume  them.  The  urging  must  come 
from  a  higher  source."  Incidentally  he  alluded  to  the 
grand  motive  which  decided  him  to  become  a  missionary. 
Some  one,  not  long  before,  had  asked  him  whether  faith  or 
love  had  influenced  him  most  in  going  to  the  heathen.  '  'I 
thought  of  it  awhile,"  he  replied,  "and  at  length  con- 
cluded that  there  was  in  me  but  little  of  either.  But  in 
thinking  of  what  did  influence  me,  I  remembered  a  time, 
out  in  the  woods  back  of  Andover  Seminary,  when  I  was 
almost  disheartened.  Everything  looked  dark.  No  one 
had  gone  out  from  this  country.  The  way  was  not  open. 
The  field  was  far  distant  and  in  an  unhealthy  climate.  I 
knew  not  what  to  do.  All  at  once  that  'last  command' 
seemed  to  my  heart  directly  from  heaven.  I  could  doubt 
no  longer,  but  determined  on  the  spot  to  obey  it  at  all 
hazards,  for  the  sake  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Now,  my 
dear  brethren,  if  the  Lord  wants  you  for  missionaries,  he 
will  set  that  command  home  to  your  hearts.  If  he  does 
so,  you  neglect  it  at  your  peril." 

One  suggestion  made  by  Dr.  Judson  had  reference  to 
the  ruling  motive  in  those  having  the  Christian  ministry 
in  view.  "Let  not  your  object,"  he  said,  "be  so  much  to 
'do  your  duty, '  or  even  to  'save  souls, '  though  these  should 
have  a  place  in  your  motives,  as  to  please  the  Lord  Jesus. 
Let  this  be  your  ruling  motive  in  all  that  you  do."  Dr. 
Small  says  Dr.  Judson  was  exceedingly  impressive  as  he 
urged  this  consideration  upon  his  student  hearers. 

'  The  late  J.  C.  Stock  bridge,  D.  D.,  was  at  that  time  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in 
Waterville,  and  this  extract,  and  other  interesting  incidents  connected  with  Dr.  Judson's 
visit  to  Maine,  are  taken  from  an  article  written  by  Dr.  Stockbridge  and  published  in 
The  Standard  not  long  before  Dr.  Stockbridge's  death. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  393 

Dr.  Stockbridge  accompanied  Dr.  Judson  in  the  visit 
that  he  made  in  the  next  few  days  to  the  Boardmans  in 
New  Sharon.  Rev.  Sylvanus  Boardman,  the  father  of 
George  Dana  Boardman,  had  died  March  16,  1845,  a  little 
more  than  a  year  before ;  but  other  members  of  the  family 
were  still  living  in  the  old  Boardman  homestead.  "It 
may  be  imagined,"  wrote  Dr.  Stockbridge,  "how  warm 
was  the  welcome  extended  to  Dr.  Judson  by  those  who 
recognized  him  as  the  husband  of  the  widowed  wife  of 
their  own  beloved  'George  Dana.'  "  Many  a  sacred  recol- 
lection must  have  been  awakened  in  the  heart  of  Dr. 
Judson,  as  well  as  in  the  hearts  of  the  members  of  the 
Boardman  family,  as  guests  and  hosts  talked  together  by 
the  fireside  in  that  quiet  New  Sharon  home !  This  was 
Dr.  Judson's  first  and  last  visit  to  Maine.^ 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Convention  at  Damariscotta,  in 
1848,  Rev.  J.  H.  Vinton,  who  had  just  returned  from 
Burma,  was  present  and  addressed  the  Convention  with 
reference  to  the  reinforcement  of  the  Karen  mission. 
Rev.  J.  M.  Haswell  of  the  Burman  mission  was  present 
at  the  Convention  in  Bloomfield  in  1851,  and  made  an 
address.  In  the  following  year  Mr.  Haswell  and  Dr. 
Bright,  foreign  secretary  of  the  Missionary  Union,  were 
present  at  the  Convention  held  in  Belfast.  Earnest  mes- 
sages they  brought,  and  the  missionary  spirit  was  greatly 
quickened  by  these  representatives  of  the  work  abroad. 
In  1853,  at  the  meeting  of  the  Convention  at  Saco,  Rev. 
J.  R.  Scott,  who  had  been  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist 
church  in  Portland,  but  had  accepted  an  appointment  as  a 
missionary  to  France,  was  present,  and  by  an  address 

'  Dr.  Judson'a  father.  Rev.  Adoniram  Judson,  was  the  first  pastor  of  the  Baptist 
church  in  Damariscotta.  He  had  been  a  Con^rreeational  pastor  at  Plymouth,  Mass.,  but 
became  a  Baptist  in  1817,  and  havintr  been  received  from  the  Second  Baptist  church  in 
Boston  as  a  member  of  the  Damariscotta  church  (then  the  Second  NoblcborouKh 
church),  he  was  re-ordained  Sept.  30,  1819.  Mr.  Judson  served  the  church  as  pastor  only 
a  short  time,  however,  retiring  in  1821,  the  church  reluctantly  consentinR  to  the  sever- 
ance of  the  ties  uniting  pastor  and  people,  but  he  was  now  upwards  of  seventy  years  of 
age,  and  doubtless  already  felt  the  need  of  withdrawing  from  the  active  duties  of  the 
pastorate.  He  returned  to  Plymouth,  Mass.,  hia  former  home,  and  died  at  Scituate, 
Mass..  Nov.  25,  1826,  aged  seventy-six  years. 


394  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

awakened  much  interest  in  the  work  to  which  he  had  been 
called  by  the  Missionary  Union.  Mr.  Scott  was  to  have 
charge  of  the  mission  church  in  Paris,  and  he  was  also  to 
instruct  theological  students  connected  with  the  French 
Baptist  mission.  The  appointment  seemed  to  offer  a  field 
of  great  usefulness,  and  Mr.  Scott  asked  to  be  released 
from  his  pastorate  in  order  that  he  might  enter  upon  this 
service.  The  request  was  reluctantly  granted,  the  church 
bearing  witness  *'to  the  rare  ability,  kind  feeling  and 
fidelity  which  had  distinguished  his  labors  in  Portland, 
making  a  sacrifice  at  the  call  of  the  missionary  board 
to  which  no  consideration  could  reconcile  them  save  the 
belief  that  the  great  head  of  the  church  may  have 
required  it."  It  was  so  ordered,  however,  that  Mr.  Scott 
did  not  go  to  Paris,  but  continued  in  the  work  of  the 
pastorate  in  this  country,  though  not  in  Maine. 

The  next  to  offer  himself  for  service  in  the  foreign  field 
was  Henry  A.  Sawtelle.  He  was  born  in  Sidney,  Dec. 
11,  1832,  was  graduated  at  Waterville  College  in  1854, 
and  at  Newton  Theological  Institution  in  1858.  July  8, 
1858,  he  was  ordained  as  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in 
Limerick,  where  he  remained  a  year,  and  then  received 
from  the  American  Baptist  Missionary  Union  an  appoint- 
ment as  a  missionary  to  China.  Thither  he  went,  with 
Mrs.  Sawtelle,  and  was  stationed  first  at  Hong  Kong  and 
subsequently  at  Swatow.  Failing  health,  however,  com- 
pelled him  to  return  to  this  country  in  1861.  At  length 
he  returned  to  the  pastorate.  He  was  in  San  Francisco, 
Cal.,  1862-76;  Chelsea,  Mass.,  1877-82;  Kalamazoo,  Mich., 
1882-84,  and  again  in  San  Francisco  1884-85,  and  died  at 
Waterville,  Me.,  Nov.  22,  1885.  Dr.  Sawtelle  was  a  man 
of  scholarly  attainments,  deep  consecration  to  his  Master's 
service  and  greatly  beloved  by  all  who  knew  him. 

In  1862,  at  the  Convention  at  Skowhegan,  Dr.  Shailer 
called  attention  to  the  decrease  in  the  churches*  contribu- 
tions for  foreign  missions.  These  contributions  had  been 
as  follows  from  1846 : 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  395 


1846, 

$6,440.14 

1855, 

$5,434.46 

1847, 

4,676.82 

1856, 

5,103.21 

1848, 

5,388.23 

1857, 

4,604.63 

1849, 

6,052.28 

1858, 

3,987.16 

1850, 

4,506.87 

1859, 

3,761.54 

1851, 

5,072.49 

1860, 

3,790.69 

1852, 

5,899.93 

1861, 

3,553.69 

1863, 

4,666.86 

1862, 

3,530.78 

1854, 

5,537.92 

Dr.  Shailer  had  reference  to  the  eight  years  1855-1862. 
Not  only  had  the  sum  contributed  by  the  churches  in  this 
time  decreased  in  amount,  he  said,  but  the  number  of  con- 
tributing churches  also  had  decreased,  so  that  only  about 
sixty-five  churches  had  made  contributions  to  the  foreign 
mission  cause  during  the  preceding  year.  This  was  a 
retrograde  movement  which  "should  be  checked,"  he  said, 
'  'and  we  should  put  forth  our  most  earnest  endeavors  not 
only  to  regain  what  has  been  lost,  but  also  to  advance 
beyond  any  point  which  hitherto  we  have  attained."  The 
advance  was  made.  The  contributions  for  the  next  ten 
years  were  as  follows : 


1863, 

$3,522.58 

1868, 

$4,506.35 

1864, 

4,189.80 

1869, 

4,559.52 

1865, 

4,002.04 

1870, 

4,801.16 

1866, 

4,862.57 

1871, 

4,564.11 

1867, 

4,450.44 

1872, 

7,260.75 

This  contribution  for  1872  is  the  largest  from  Maine  the 
Missionary  Union  has  ever  acknowledged,^  and  must  have 
contained  large  items  received  by  bequest.  The  amount 
reported  by  the  Maine  churches  in  1872,  in  their  own 
statistics  was  $3,850;  but  every  year  money  is  sent  to 

'On  paRe  348  the  statement  is  made  that  in  1893  one  hundred  and  ninety-six  of  the 
Baptist  churches  in  Maine  grave  more  than  $14,000  for  the  work  in  foreijrn  fields.  This  is 
the  statement  made  in  the  report  of  the  board  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Conven- 
tion for  that  year  (Minutes  for  1893,  p.  20),  and  was  based  on  the  report  of  the  New  Eng- 
land district  secretary  of  the  Missionary  Union,  who  on  page  222  of  the  79th  annual 
report  of  the  Union  (Missionary  Ma«razine  for  July,  1893)  reported  receipts  from  Maine 
as  follows:  Donations.  $8,660.09;  lepracies.  $1,000.00;  Woman's  Society.  $1,66.T76 ;  total. 
$14,323.85.  Dr.  McKenzie's  report  under  "Donations"  evidently  contained  an  error,  occa- 
sioned, it  may  be,  by  hasty  computation,  as  the  fiorures  of  the  treasurer's  books  (five  the 
amount  of  donations  as  $7,027.96. 


396  HISTORY    OF    THE    BAPTISTS    IN    MAINE. 

the  Missionary  Union  from  Maine  which  is  not  reported 
through  the  churches. 

But  there  was  not  only  an  increase  in  contributions 
after  1862,  but  also  in  the  number  of  missionaries  from 
Maine.  Evidently  there  was  at  this  time  a  quickening  of 
the  missionary  spirit  in  the  churches. 

Maine's  next  representative  on  the  foreign  field,  Rev. 
D.  A.  W.  Smith,  was  born  in  Waterville,  June  18,  1840, 
where  his  father,  the  late  Rev.  S.  F.  Smith,  D.  D., 
author  of  "My  country,  'tis  of  thee,"  was  pastor  of  the 
Baptist  church.  Dr.  Smith  removed  to  Newton  Center, 
Mass. ,  in  1842,  but  the  son  returned  to  Waterville  in  1854 
and  took  the  first  year  of  his  college  course  in  Waterville 
College,  graduating  at  Harvard  College  in  1859.  After 
teaching  a  year  in  South  Carolina,  he  entered  Newton 
Theological  Institution,  and  was  graduated  in  1863.  July 
26,  1863,  he  was  ordained  at  Newton  Center,  and  having 
been  accepted  as  a  missionary  of  the  American  Baptist 
Missionary  Union,  he  sailed  for  Burma,  with  his  wife,  a 
daughter  of  Rev.  E.  A.  Stevens,  D.  D.,  of  Burma.  He 
was  stationed  at  Rangoon  from  1864  to  1866,  while  learning 
the  Karen  language,  and  then  was  engaged  in  missionary 
service  at  Henzada  from  1866  to  1875.  On  the  death  of 
Dr.  Binney,  he  was  made  president  of  the  Karen  Theologi- 
cal Seminary,  which  position  he  still  holds.  During  his 
work  of  instruction  Dr.  Smith  has  translated  and  pub- 
lished Wayland's  Moral  Science,  an  extended  treatise  on 
Logic,  a  Commentary  on  the  whole  Bible  in  several  vol- 
umes, also  many  other  works,  besides  employing  the  press 
in  various  ways  in  giving  a  growing  literature  to  the  Bap- 
tists in  Burma. 

Rev.  Alonzo  Bunker,  D.  D.,  born  in  Atkinson,  Jan.  30, 
1837,  soon  followed  Mr.  Smith  to  Burma.  He  was  grad- 
uated at  Waterville  College  in  1862,  and  Newton  Theolog- 
ical Institution  in  1865.  During  his  theological  studies  he 
had  devoted  himself  to  city  mission  work,  but  his  eyes 
were  upon  the  foreign  field,  as  were  those  of  his  class- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  397 

mates  Gushing  and  Norris.^  He  was  ordained  at  East 
Winthrop,  Aug.  3,  1865,  and  having  been  accepted  as  a 
missionary  of  the  American  Baptist  Missionary  Union,  he 
was  assigned  to  service  at  Toungoo,  Burma.  Thither  he 
made  his  way,  and  with  characteristic  energy  entered 
upon  his  work.  From  Toungoo,  as  soon  as  he  had  com- 
mand of  the  language,  he  pushed  out  into  the  regions 
beyond  with  the  zeal  of  an  apostle,  making  his  way 
through  deep  jungles,  climbing  high  mountains,  working 
among  the  hill  tribes— a  frontier  missionary,  always  seek- 
ing to  make  new  conquests  for  the  Christ  he  served  and 
always  successful  in  the  endeavor.  Again  and  again  he 
was  compelled  to  return  to  his  native  land  for  renewed 
health  and  strength,  but  his  heart  was  in  Burma  and 
thither  again  he  hastened  with  some  new,  great  purpose 
in  his  heart,  which  was  aflame  with  love  to  God  and 
men— an  inspiration  to  all  who  are  interested  in  the  prog- 
ress of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom  at  home  and  abroad.  At 
present  Dr.  Bunker  is  in  this  country  for  rest  and  refresh- 
ment, having  returned  to  the  United  States  in  the  summer 
of  1903. 

Dr.  Bunker,  in  making  Burma  his  field  of  service,  was 
soon  followed  by  Henry  M.  Hopkinson,  who  was  born  at 
New  Sharon,  Feb.  1,  1840.  While  a  student  at  Water- 
ville  Gollege  in  1863,  he  heard  the  call  of  his  country  and 
enlisted  in  the  Sixteenth  Maine  Infantry,  remaining  with 
the  regiment  until  the  close  of  the  Givil  War.  He  then 
returned  to  his  studies  at  Waterville,  was  graduated  at 
Golby  in  1868,  and  at  Newton  Theological  Institution  in 
1871.  Offering  himself  to  the  Missionary  Union  for  ser- 
vice in  the  foreign  field,  he  was  ordained  at  Bangor  Oct. 
5,  1871,  and  sailed  for  Burma,  where  he  was  stationed  at 
Bassein  and  did  faithful  service  until  1876.  Failing  health 
then  compelled  him  to  return  to  this  country,  and  he  has 
since  served  as  pastor  at  East  Madison,  Me.,  Halifax,  Vt., 
West  Wardsboro,  Vt,  Lebanon,  Me.,  and  Perkinsville,  Vt. 

'  Rev.  James  F.  Norris.  who  waa  ordained  in  the  First  Baptist  church.  Portland.  In  1865, 
and  then  went  to  Burma  aa  a  missionary,  waa  not  bom  in  Maine,  but  in  Danbury,  N.  H. 


398  HISTORY  OP  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

The  Woman's  Baptist  Foreign  Missionary  Society  was 
organized  in  Boston,  April  3, 1871.  It  was  believed  that  by 
means  of  such  an  organization  the  interest  of  the  women 
in  our  churches  in  foreign  mission  work  would  be  enlisted 
in  a  far  greater  degree  than  would  be  possible  without 
such  an  organization.  And  this  proved  to  be  the  fact. 
Foreign  mission  circles  were  formed.  The  interest  of  chil- 
dren and  young  people  was  awakened  and  deepened.  Miss 
Sarah  Curtis  of  Hampden  was  made  state  secretary  for 
Maine,  and  with  a  zeal  that  never  flagged  she  devoted  her- 
self to  the  task  of  bringing  the  women  in  our  Maine  Bap- 
tist churches  to  recognize  their  ability  and  responsibility 
in  this  work.  Rev.  J.  L.  Bearing,  D.  D.,  of  Yokohama, 
Japan,  writes:  "How  well  I  remember  one  Sunday  after- 
noon, when  in  a  certain  home  in  Waterville,  I,  a  student 
in  the  institute,  first  met  Sarah  Curtis  and  heard  her  talk 
of  her  interest  in  missions.  She  was  one  of  the  first  per- 
sons I  had  ever  met  who  seemed  to  talk  of  missions  as  a 
vital  thing  in  which  she  believed.  The  heathen  seemed  as 
real  to  her  as  the  people  of  Waterville.  I  listened  with 
mingled  wonder  and  amusement,  but  I  never  forgot  the 
impression,  and  that  afternoon  undoubtedly  had  its  share 
in  leading  me  to  mission  work." 

As  state  secretary  Miss  Curtis  visited  the  churches, 
called  the  women  together,  and  made  known  to  them  the 
needs  of  the  work.  At  Thomaston,  in  1877,  she  was  able 
to  report  that  mission  circles  had  been  established  in  about 
one-fourth  of  the  Baptist  churches  in  Maine.  Miss  Curtis 
had  an  humble  estimate  of  her  own  abilities,  but  strong 
faith  in  God ;  and  the  steady  increase  in  the  contributions 
of  the  women  in  Maine  to  the  treasury  of  the  Woman's 
Foreign  Missionary  Society  from  $199.86  in  1872,  the  first 
year  of  her  service  as  secretary,  to  $2,085.52  in  1883,  the 
last  year  of  her  service,  is  proof  of  her  fidelity.  In  this 
last  year— a  year  of  weariness  and  suffering— Miss  Curtis 
traveled  five  hundred  and  eighty-nine  miles,  wrote  two 
hundred  and  fifty-five  letters  and  postals,  and  distributed 
one  thousand  tracts  and  papers.     She  died  June  24,  1883, 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  399 

leaving  her  work  to  others  who  have  carried  it  on  in  the 
same  spirit  of  consecration.  In  memory  of  Miss  Curtis, 
the  Sarah  Curtis  Home  of  the  Girls'  School  in  Tokyo  was 
erected  not  long  after,  and  toward  its  erection  the  women 
of  Maine  contributed  $4,000.  The  Sarah  Curtis  Home  is 
not  a  Christian  school  only,  but  the  center  of  much  ear- 
nest, successful  missionary  work. 

Among  the  first  to  respond  to  the  call  of  the  Woman's 
Baptist  Foreign  Missionary  Society  was  Sarah  Boardman 
Barrows,  daughter  of  a  former  pastor  in  Maine,  Rev. 
Allen  Barrows.  She  was  born  in  Ellsworth,  April  17, 1841, 
while  her  father  was  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in  that 
place.  Missions  were  exalted  in  that  home.  One  of  her 
brothers  was  named  William  Carey,  and  this  daughter 
received  the  sainted  name  Sarah  Boardman.  She  united 
with  the  Baptist  church  at  Newton  Center  while  her 
brother  William  was  a  student  at  the  seminary,  and  was 
baptized  by  Dr.  0.  S.  Stearns.  The  Woman's  Foreign 
Missionary  Society  was  organized  largely  by  women  con- 
nected with  the  Newton  Center  church,  and  Miss  Barrows 
early  in  her  Christian  life  became  interested  in  the  work 
of  the  Society.  At  length  she  offered  herself  for  service 
in  the  foreign  field  in  connection  with  that  work.  She 
was  accepted  May  7,  1872,  and  went  to  Burma  in  that 
year.  At  first  she  was  stationed  at  Toungoo  and  was  con- 
nected with  the  Tamil  School.  Afterward  she  was  trans- 
ferred to  Moulmein,  where  for  a  while  she  assisted  Miss 
Haswell  in  the  Morton  Lane  School.  Then  came  a  term  of 
service  in  the  Girl's  English  High  School.  In  1879,  she 
began  her  work  in  the  Burmese  Boys'  School,  which  she 
superintended  for  nearly  fifteen  years,  and  with  marked 
success.  Her  strong  personality,  consistent  Christian  life, 
unswerving  faith  in  God's  Word,  blended  with  uniform 
cheerfulness  and  ready  wit,  won  the  respect  and  love  of 
her  teachers  and  students.  In  1885-86,  she  was  in  this 
country  and  was  accompanied  by  one  of  her  assistants, 
Mah  Mhyah.  Returning  to  Burma  she  resumed  her  work  ; 
but  her  health  failing  at  length  she  came  back  to  this 


400  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

country  in  1898.  On  her  return  to  Burma,  she  was  placed 
in  charge  of  the  Zigon  station.  But  she  soon  found  that 
her  strength  was  unequal  to  the  task  she  had  assumed, 
and  reluctantly  she  returned  to  this  country.  She  died  at 
the  home  of  her  sister  in  Grafton,  N.  B.,  Dec.  21,  1902, 
and  was  buried  at  East  Sumner,  Me.,  by  the  side  of  her 
father  and  mother. 

Rev.  Frederick  H.  Eveleth,  D.  D.,^  was  born  in  Durham, 
March  21,  1843.  A  thoughtful,  scholarly  boy,  he  made 
preparation  for  a  college  course  of  study  and  entered 
Colby  University  in  1866,  graduating  in  1870.  Then  for 
theological  study  he  went  to  the  Newton  Theological  Insti- 
tution, where  he  was  graduated  in  1873.  It  was  his  pur- 
pose to  devote  himself  to  service  in  the  foreign  field,  and 
having  been  accepted  as  a  missionary  of  the  American 
Baptist  Missionary  Union,  he  was  ordained  at  the  First 
Baptist  church,  Portland,  Sept.  2,  1873,  and  with  Mrs. 
Eveleth,  he  sailed  for  his  distant  field  of  labor.  At  first 
he  was  stationed  at  Toungoo,  continuing  his  work  there 
from  1873  to  1885.  He  was  at  Rangoon  from  1885  to  1890, 
and  at  Sandoway  from  1890  to  1896.  Since  1896,  he  has 
been  connected  with  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Insein, 
holding  the  presidency  of  the  Burman  Theological  Semi- 
nary, and  doing  efficient  service  in  the  training  of  young 
men  for  the  work  of  the  Christian  ministry.  Dr.  Eveleth 
has  the  reputation  of  being  one  of  the  best  Burmese 
scholars  connected  with  our  mission.  Mrs.  Eveleth  is  a 
daughter  of  Rev.  J.  F.  Eveleth,  one  of  our  formerly  well- 
known  Maine  Baptist  ministers,  and  was  born  in  Orono, 
June  26,  1852. 

From  Maine,  in  1874,  three  missionaries  went  to  the  for- 
eign field.  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Henry  W.  Hale  and  Rev.  A.  K. 

^  He  was  baptized  by  Rev.  W.  H.  Shailer,  D.  D.,  in  the  old  Federal  St.  Baptist  church. 
Portland,  in  1862,  and  at  the  same  time  Dr.  Shailer  baptized  his  nephew.  Rev.  W.  H.  S. 
Hascall,  born  in  Pittsford,  Vt.,  Dec.  30,  1850,  who  in  1872  went  to  Burma  and  became  con- 
nected with  the  mission  press  at  Rangoon.  But  longing  for  distinctively  missionary 
work  he  was  ordained  in  1877.  He  was  in  this  country  from  1880  to  1883,  and  then 
returned  to  Burma.  From  1889  to  1903  he  was  in  the  pastorate  in  this  country.  He  is 
now  stationed  at  Thongze,  Burma,  doing,  as  always,  strong,  faithful  service  for  Christ. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  401 

Gurney.  Mr.  Hale  was  born  in  Southwest  Harbor,  Mt. 
^  Desert,  Oct.  7,  1843.  He  was  graduated  at  Colby  Univer- 
*sity  in  1867,  was  at  the  Baptist  Union  Theological  Sem- 
inary, Chicago,  111.,  1871-72,  and  at  Newton  Theological 
Institution  1872-74.  Having  been  ordained  in  Auburn, 
Aug.  20,  1874,  he  made  his  way  to  Burma  with  Mrs.  Hale. 
For  many  years  he  was  stationed  at  Shwegyin,  then  at 
Moulmein  and  afterwards  at  Tavoy.  At  present  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hale  are  in  this  country  on  furlough.  Mrs.  Hale, 
daughter  of  Elbridge  G.  and  Emma  (Norton)  Coffin,  was 
born  in  Auburn,  Feb.  7,  1849.  She  is  a  granddaughter 
of  Rev.  Ransom  Norton,  one  of  our  early  Maine  Baptist 
ministers,  who  came  from  Martha's  Vineyard  to  Maine 
with  Sylvanus  Boardman. 

Rev.  Albanus  K.  Gurney  was  born  in  Cumberland,  May 
29,  1845.  He  was  graduated  at  Colby  University  in  1871, 
and  Newton  Theological  Institution  in  1874.  His  ordina- 
tion occurred  at  Yarmouth  Aug.  26,  1874,  the  First  Bap- 
tist church,  Portland,  of  which  he  was  a  member,  having 
called  a  council  at  Yarmouth  in  connection  with  the  meet- 
ings of  the  Cumberland  Association.  Mr.  Gurney  received 
his  appointment  as  a  missionary  of  the  American  Baptist 
Missionary  Union  April  21,  1874,  and  was  assigned  to 
service  in  Assam.  He  was  stationed  at  Sibsagar,  and  that 
has  been  his  field  of  labor  since.  Much  of  his  time  has 
been  spent  in  translating  the  Old  Testament  into  the 
Assamese  language.  This  work  was  completed  in  1903, 
and  Mr.  Gurney,  with  Mrs.  Gurney,  returned  to  this  coun- 
try for  a  well-earned  rest.  Mrs.  Gurney  is  a  native  of 
Jay,  and  was  married  to  Mr.  Gurney  July  19,  1877,  in  the 
historic  chapel  in  Calcutta  in  which  Adoniram  Judson  and 
his  wife  were  baptized. 

Miss  Myra  H.  Stetson,  daughter  of  Rev.  H.  Stetson,  was 
born  in  Sidney,  May  9, 1847.  In  her  home  she  heard  much 
concerning  missions,  and  consecrated  herself  to  service  in 
the  foreign  field.  Nov.  10,  1874,  she  received  an  appoint- 
ment from  the  Woman's  Baptist  Foreign  Missionary  Soci- 


402  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

ety,  and  went  to  Burma.  But  on  account  of  ill  health  she 
was  soon  obliged  to  relinquish  fondly  cherished  hopes  and 
return  to  this  country.  Submissive  to  the  divine  will,  she 
received  the  loving  ministrations  of  the  home  circle,  and 
died  in  Sidney,  Nov.  3,  1876,  shortly  after  her  return. 

Miss  Ella  F.  McAllister,  born  in  Portland,  June  12,  1852, 
was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Portland  and  for  awhile 
was  engaged  in  teaching  in  her  native  city.  But  there  was 
a  call  for  just  such  service  in  Burma,  and  Miss  McAllister, 
who  was  a  member  of  the  First  Baptist  church  in  Port- 
land, heard  the  call,  and  received  an  appointment  from 
the  Woman's  Baptist  Foreign  Missionary  Society  April  16, 
1877.  Upon  reaching  Burma  she  became  connected  with 
the  Kemendine  Girls'  School  at  Rangoon.  After  nineteen 
years  of  service  she  returned  to  this  country  for  a  period 
of  needed  rest.  In  the  autumn  of  1902,  she  set  out  once 
more  for  Burma,  but  on  account  of  ill  health  was  com- 
pelled to  return  to  this  country  after  reaching  England. 
In  August,  1903,  she  again  left  Portland  for  Burma,  and  at 
present  is  the  efficient  head  of  the  Girls'  High  School  in 
Moulmein. 

We  now  come  to  the  period  of  the  student  volunteer 
movement,  in  which  the  number  of  our  representatives 
in  the  foreign  field  was  largely  increased.  We  can  only 
briefly  mention  them  and  their  stations. 

Miss  Julia  H.  Elwin,  born  in  Winslow,  Feb.  5,  1857, 
went  to  Burma  in  1881,  but  on  account  of  ill  health  was 
obliged  to  return  to  this  country  after  a  few  years,  and 
her  service  since  has  been  in  the  home  field.  Rev.  John 
E.  Case,  born  in  Patten,  Nov.  27,  1856  (Colby,  1880,  New- 
ton, 1880-1882) ,  went  to  Burma  in  1882,  where  he  has  been 
stationed  at  Toungoo  and  Myingyan.  On  account  of  ill 
health  he  is  at  present  in  this  country.  Rev.  James  E. 
Cochrane,  born  in  Monmouth,  July  4,  1854  (Colby,  1880, 
Rochester  Theological  Seminary,  1883) ,  went  to  Burma  in 
1886,  but  returned  to  this  country  in  1889,  Mrs.  Coch- 
rane *s  health  rendering  a  change  necessary.  Rev.  Benja- 
min F.  Turner,  born  in  Dover,  Dec.  24,  1855  (Colby,  1884, 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  403 

Newton,  1887),  went  to  Burma  in  1887,  and  after  ten 
years'  service  returned  to  this  country  on  account  of  Mrs. 
Turner's  ill  health.  Rev,  John  E.  Cummings,  born  in 
Saco,  June  22,  1862  (Colby,  1884,  Newton,  1887),  went  to 
Burma  in  1887,  and  is  still  connected  with  the  Henzada 
mission,  but  returned  with  his  family  in  1904  on  furlough 
to  this  country.  Rev.  John  M.  Foster,  D.  D.,  born  in 
Portland,  July  21,  1857  (Colby,  1877,  Newton,  1887),  went 
to  China  in  1887,  and  was  stationed  at  Swatow  until  1903. 
At  present  he  is  in  this  country,  but  has  been  assigned  to 
service  at  Bangkok,  Siam.  Rev.  Henry  P.  Cochrane,  bom 
in  Lewiston,  March  25,  1856  (Rochester  Theological  Semi- 
nary, 1889),  went  to  Burma  in  1889,  and  until  1903  was 
stationed  at  Toungoo.  At  present,  with  his  family,  he  is 
in  this  country.  Rev.  John  L.  Bearing,  D.  D.,  born  in 
Webster,  Dec.  10,  1858  (Colby,  1884,  Newton,  1889),  went 
to  Japan  in  1889.  His  work  has  been  largely  educational 
in  connection  with  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Yokohama, 
of  which  since  1894  he  has  been  president  and  professor 
of  theology  and  ethics.  Rev.  S.  W.  Hamblen,  born  in  Lov- 
ell  Center,  Sept.  12,  1862  (Brown  University,  1886,  New- 
ton, 1889),  was  also  assigned  to  Japan.  For  many  years  he 
was  stationed  at  Sendai.  His  present  station  is  Tokyo. 
Rev.  W.  W.  Cochrane  (Colby,  1885,  Rochester  Theologi- 
cal Seminary,  1890),  the  third  of  the  Cochrane  brothers 
to  engage  in  missionary  service,  was  born  in  Monmouth, 
April  16,  1859.  He  went  to  Burma  in  1890,  and  has  since 
labored  among  the  Shans  of  Upper  Burma.  Rev.  Charles 
Hadley,  born  in  Lewiston,  Aug.  5,  1864  (Bates,  1886, 
Newton,  1890),  went  to  India  in  1890,  and  was  stationed 
at  Madras.  On  account  of  failing  health  he  returned  to 
this  country,  and  died  in  Lewiston,  Dec.  21,  1895.  Miss 
Belle  Grover,  born  in  Skowhegan,  March  28,  1865,  joined 
the  Congo  mission  in  1887.  There  she  was  married  to 
Mr.  Edward  E.  Claflin,  who  died  in  1890.  Mrs.  Claflin 
returned  to  this  country,  but  in  1891  went  back  to  Africa. 
After  three  years,  on  account  of  the  severe  illness  of  her 
mother,  she  returned  to  the  United  States  and  has  since 


404 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 


married  Mr.  S.  M.  Field  of  Newark,  N.  J.  Rev.  Arthur 
H.  Curtis,  born  in  Portland,  July  20,  1866  (Newton,  1891), 
went  to  India  in  1892,  and  has  since  been  connected  with 
the  Telugu  mission.  Mrs.  Curtis  is  a  daughter  of  Rev. 
Dr.  John  E.  Clough.  Mr.  Curtis  and  his  family  are  now 
in  this  country.^  Miss  Orissa  W.  Gould,  born  in  Alna, 
Dec.  19,  1861,  having  fitted  herself  for  service  as  a  medi- 
cal missionary  at  the  Woman's  Medical  College  in  New 
York,  went  to  India  in  1893  and  was  stationed  at  Nellore. 
On  account  of  a  complete  nervous  breakdown  she  returned 
to  the  United  States  in  1897.  After  her  return,  as  her 
strength  permitted  she  devoted  herself  to  philanthropic 
and  missionary  work  among  the  poor  of  the  East  Side, 
New  York  City.  She  died  in  New  York,  May  3,  1904. 
Mrs.  H.  Y.  Corey,  born  at  Tenant's  Harbor,  July  3,  1868, 
is  in  the  service  of  the  Foreign  Missionary  Society  of  the 
Baptist  Convention  of  the  Maritime  Provinces,  and  is  sta- 
tioned at  Parla-Kimidi,  Madras  Presidency,  India. 

The  contributions  of  the  churches  in  Maine  for  foreign 
missions  from  1874,  arranged  in  decades,  are  as  follows : 


1874, 

$6,457.45 

1884, 

$3,177.60 

1894, 

$4,764.84 

1875, 

6,595.32 

1885, 

3,589.21 

1895, 

4,488.62 

1876, 

6,202.32 

1886, 

3,531.15 

1896, 

5,191.55 

1877, 

4,495.19 

1887, 

2,630.17 

1897, 

3,923.05 

1878, 

5,897.08 

1888, 

2,892.48 

1898, 

4,004.30 

1879, 

2,987.92 

1889, 

4,421.48 

1899, 

3,876.55 

1880, 

4,701.09 

1890, 

3,286.55 

1900, 

4,850.34 

1881, 

5,356.37 

1891, 

3,162.20 

1901, 

5,880.77 

1882, 

2,928.94 

1892, 

3,200.88 

1902, 

4,880.35 

1883, 

2,892.24 

1893, 

7,027.96 

1903, 

6,059.21 

$48,513.92  $36,919.68  $47,918.98 

While  it  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  contributions  for  the 
decade  1894-1903  amounted  to  $47,918.98,  or  $10,999.30 
more  than  in  the  decade  1884-1893  ($36,919.68),  although 

*  Rev.  Edwin  N.  Fletcher,  although  not  bom  in  Maine,  should  be  mentioned  here.  He 
was  bom  at  Newton  Center,  Mass.,  April  23,  1866  (Colgate,  1886,  Hamilton  Theological 
Seminary,  1892),  and  went  to  China  in  1892.  Returning  to  this  country  in  1895,  he  served 
the  church  in  Fairfield  as  pastor.  In  1898  he  returned  to  China,  and  died  near  Nlngrpo, 
July  14,  1899. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 


405 


in  this  latter  decade  occurred  the  missionary  jubilee  offer- 
ing, it  is  equally  worthy  of  note  that  the  contributions  in 
the  decade  1874-1883  amounted  to  $48,513.92,  or  $594.94 
more  than  in  the  decade  1894-1903.  This,  however  is  to  be 
remembered,  that  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Soci- 
ety began  to  receive  contributions  from  the  women  of  the 
churches  in  1872.  The  amount  received  in  that  year  from 
Maine  was  $199.86.  In  1873  it  was  $1,114.63.  The  contri- 
butions from  the  same  source  since  that  time,  arranged  in 
decades,  are  as  follows  : 


1874, 

$1,716.29 

1884, 

$2,259.56 

1894, 

$2,932.97 

1875, 

1,970.10 

1885 

3,534.81 

1895, 

2,990.26 

1876, 

2,022.78 

1886, 

2,718.66 

1896, 

3,507.84 

1877, 

1,963.54 

1887, 

2,541.22 

1897, 

3,344.72 

1878, 

1,883.32 

1888, 

2,898.31 

1898, 

2.778.27 

1879, 

1,774.49 

1889, 

2,823.23 

1899, 

2,414.06 

1880, 

2,143.70 

1890, 

3,302.91 

1900, 

2,464.41 

1881, 

1,913.75 

1891, 

3,203.44 

1901, 

3.688.58 

1882, 

2,066.83 

1892, 

3,301.70 

1902, 

2,457.10 

1888, 

2,085.52 

1893, 

4,683.19 

1903, 

2,993.21 

$19,540.32  $31,267.03  $29,571.42 

If  the  contributions  received  from  Maine  by  the  Wom- 
an's Baptist  Foreign  Missionary  Society  are  added  to  those 
received  from  Maine  by  the  American  Baptist  Missionary 
Union  we  shall  have  the  following  totals : 


1874-1883. 

$48,513.92 

19,540.32 

$68,054.24 


1884-1893, 

$36,919.68 

31,267.03 

$68,186.71 


1894-1903. 

$47,918.98 

29,571.42 

$77,490.40 


The  amount  received  in  this  last  decade  under  review 
shows  a  gratifying  increase  in  the  contributions  for  for- 
eign missions  made  by  our  Maine  Baptist  churches.  Espe- 
cially is  this  increase  gratifying  as  it  occurs  in  a  period 
which  has  been  marked  by  a  wider  and  deeper  interest 
in  the  work  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Convention, 
and  in  that  of  the  American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


The  Baptists  of  Maine  and  Home  Missions. 

Concerning  home  mission  work  the  Baptists  of  Maine 
have  not  been  unmindful.  Even  in  the  early  period  there 
was  work  beyond  the  boundaries  of  the  district  as  Rev. 
John  Tripp  made  his  way  to  the  scattered  settlements  in 
northern  New  Hampshire,  as  Rev.  Phinehas  Pilsbury  vis- 
ited Vermont,  Upper  Canada,  and  the  northern  part  of 
New  York,  and  as  Rev.  Isaac  Case,  fired  by  missionary 
zeal,  carried  the  gospel  message  across  the  border  into 
New  Brunswick  and  Nova  Scotia. 

But  Maine  has  had  a  part  in  the  work  of  our  Ameri- 
can Baptist  Home  Mission  Society.  Maine  Baptists  were 
represented  at  the  organization  of  the  Home  Mission  Soci- 
ety in  New  York  in  April,  1832.  Gen.  Alford  Richard- 
son, of  the  First  Baptist  church  in  Portland,  was  at  the 
head  of  the  list  of  vice  presidents ;  and  at  the  head  of 
the  list  of  directors  stands  the  name  of  Jeremiah  Chap- 
lin, D.  D. ,  president  of  Waterville  College.  The  first  mis- 
sionary appointment  of  the  Society,  made  May  11,  1832, 
was  given  to  Rev.  Thomas  W.  Merrill,  a  son  of  Rev.  Daniel 
Merrill  of  Sedgwick.  Mr.  Merrill  was  born  in  Sedgwick, 
Feb.  18,  1802,  was  graduated  at  Waterville  College  in 
1825  and  Newton  Theological  Institution  in  1828.  After 
his  graduation,  Mr.  Merrill  was  a  professor  one  year  in 
the  New  Hampton  Literary  and  Theological  Institution 
at  New  Hampton,  N.  H.  But  the  missionary  spirit  was 
strong  in  the  man,  and  in  the  autumn  of  1829  he  made 
his  way  to  Michigan,  then  a  territory.  It  was  his  pur- 
pose, as  he  wrote,  "to  promote  the  intellectual  as  well  as 
moral  advancement  of  the  people  of  the  territory  of  Mich- 
igan."   At  first  he  devoted  himself  to  teaching,  opening 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  407 

a  classical  school  at  Ann  Arbor,  and  with  him  was  asso- 
ciated his  brother,  Moses  Merrill.  It  is  said  that  this  clas- 
sical school,  which  received  considerable  patronage  from 
Detroit  and  other  places,  was  the  foundation  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Michigan.  In  the  following  year,  with  larger 
educational  purposes  in  view,  Mr.  Merrill  visited  various 
parts  of  the  territory  seeking  signers  to  a  petition  asking 
the  Legislature  to  charter  a  literary  institution  to  be  des- 
ignated the  Michigan  and  Huron  Institute,  and  to  be  under 
Baptist  control.  Meanwhile  he  was  urged  to  take  charge 
of  an  incorporated  academy  at  Ann  Arbor ;  but  Mr.  Mer- 
rill was  unwilling  to  dismiss  his  denominational  aims  and 
hopes,  and  located  at  Prairie  Ronde,  with  the  aid  of  whose 
first  settlers  he  erected  a  building  for  educational  and  reli- 
gious purposes,  which  was  occupied  for  those  uses  as  early 
as  the  winter  of  1830-31.  Mr.  Merrill  was  ordained  at 
Detroit,  Mich.,  Feb.  6,  1831,  and  devoted  much  of  his  time 
to  missionary  work  in  new  communities  and  as  opportu- 
nity offered.  Later,  in  1831,  he  returned  to  the  East  and 
solicited  aid  in  the  State  of  New  York  for  the  proposed 
Huron  and  Michigan  Institute.  At  the  Baptist  Conven- 
tion of  that  State  he  received  an  endorsement  of  his  plans 
and  purposes  from  such  men  as  Elon  Galusha,  Archibald 
Maclay,  Jonathan  Going  and  B.  T.  Welch.  Returning  to 
Michigan,  Mr.  Merrill,  with  the  help  of  able  assistants, 
secured  from  the  Legislature  an  act  incorporating  the 
Michigan  and  Huron  Institute,  and  the  act  was  approved 
by  the  governor  April  22,  1833.  The  charter  did  not  locate 
the  institute,  but  in  the  autumn  of  1835,  the  question  as 
to  location  was  decided  in  favor  of  Kalamazoo.  In  Febru- 
ary, 1855,  the  charter  of  the  institute  was  amended,  so 
as  to  give  the  institution  collegiate  powers,  and  the  name 
was  changed  to  Kalamazoo  College.  Mr.  Merrill  died  in 
Lansing,  Mich.,  April  8,  1878,  aged  seventy-six  years.  In 
the  provisions  of  his  will  he  gave  proof  of  his  continued 
interest  in  Kalamazoo  College,  and  ten  thousand  dollars 
came  into  the  possession  of  the  college  from  the  bequest 
which  he  made. 


408  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

Mr.  Moses  Merrill,  a  younger  son  of  Rev.  Daniel  Mer- 
rill, accompanied  his  brother,  Thomas  W.  Merrill,  to 
Michigan.  While  engaged  in  teaching,  he  preached  as 
opportunity  offered,  and  in  February,  1830,  he  devoted 
himself  to  theological  study,  having  in  view  mission  work 
among  the  Indians.  Having  married,  June  1,  1830,  Miss 
Eliza  Wilcox,  he  removed  in  the  spring  of  1831  to  English 
Prarie,  Ind.  Correspondence  with  the  General  Missionary 
Convention  of  the  Baptist  Denomination  in  the  United 
States  for  Foreign  Missions,  which  had  established  mis- 
sions among  the  Indians  of  our  own  country,  led  to  the 
appointment  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Merrill  as  missionaries  at 
Sault  St.  Marie.  Before  proceeding  to  this  field  of  labor 
they  spent  a  part  of  the  summer  of  1832  in  Sedgwick, 
Maine,  and  the  ordination  of  Mr.  Merrill  occurred  at  this 
time.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Merrill  reached  Sault  St.  Marie,  on 
their  return  to  the  West,  September  20th.  It  was  the 
expectation  of  the  board  that  they  would  find  their  field 
of  labor  among  the  Chippewa  Indians  at  the  head  of 
Lake  Superior,  but  before  the  arrival  of  spring  the  plan 
was  changed,  and  they  were  assigned  to  service  at  the 
Shawanoe  mission  in  Missouri.  After  a  brief  residence 
in  Missouri,  however,  they  moved  on  to  Bellevue,  Indian 
Territory,  and  the  first  white  settlement  in  what  is  now 
the  State  of  Nebraska.  Here  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Merrill  entered 
upon  missionary  labor  among  the  Otoe  Indians.  Mrs. 
Merrill,  Nov.  25,  1835,  opened  at  Bellevue  the  first  school 
in  Nebraska,  her  scholars  being  mostly  Otoe  Indian  chil- 
dren and  half  breeds.  Mr.  Merrill  devoted  himself  to 
preaching,  at  first  through  an  Indian  interpreter.  Build- 
ings for  mission  purposes  were  erected  near  the  Otoe 
village.  As  an  aid  in  his  mission  work,  Mr.  Merrill,  with 
the  assistance  of  Louis  Dorion,  his  interpreter,  made  a 
translation  of  Lieberkuhn's  History  of  our  Lord  and 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ  into  the  language  of  the  Otoe, 
Iowa  and  Missouri  Indians.  This  was  published  in  June, 
1837.  But  Mr.  Merrill  was  not  long  permitted  to  engage 
in  this  service  to  which  he  had  devoted  himself  with  such 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  409 

entire  consecration.  He  was  stricken  with  consumption, 
which  rapidly  developed,  and  he  died  Feb.  6,  1840.  His 
last  words  were  an  expression  of  the  wish  that  someone 
might  be  sent  to  take  his  place  and  lead  the  Indians  to 
Christ.  The  Otoes  knew  him  as  "The-one-who-always- 
speaks-the-truth. "  ^ 

At  the  Kennebec  Association  in  Farmington,  in  1836,  it 
was  "Resolved,  That  we  view  with  deep  interest  the 
object  of  the  American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society  in 
relation  to  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi."  In  1838,  the 
association  held  its  annual  meeting  in  Industry.  Among 
those  present  was  Miss  Fidelia  Coburn,^  a  sister  of  the 
late  ex-Gov.  Abner  Coburn.  Dea.  Heman  Lincoln  of  Bos- 
ton, treasurer  of  the  Baptist  Board  of  Foreign  Missions, 
and  the  first  president  of  the  American  Baptist  Home  Mis- 
sion Society,  was  there  to  represent  the  interests  of  the 
Society.  Rev.  Sylvanus  Boardman  was  moderator  of  the 
association,  and  preached  the  introductory  sermon.  Dea- 
con Lincoln  addressed  the  association  with  reference  to 
foreign  missions.  Miss  Coburn  was  deeply  interested  in 
this  address.  She  was  an  officer  in  a  foreign  mission 
society  in  her  own  church,  and  she  regarded  it  as  a  privi- 
lege that  on  the  return  of  the  delegates  from  the  asso- 
ciation, she  had  the  pleasure  of  again  hearing  Deacon 
Lincoln  in  her  own  church  at  Bloomfield,  now  Skowhegan. 

In  1839,  Miss  Coburn  had  a  long  and  severe  illness, 
which  confined  her  to  her  bed  seven  months.  During  this 
time  she  came  to  the  determination  that  if  her  life  was 

'  Rev.  S.  P.  Merrill,  D.  D.,  formerly  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Waterville.  ami  a 
son  of  Rev.  Moses  Merrill,  was  bom  at  Bellevue,  while  his  parents  were  residinK  tlicre. 
He  was  the  first  white  child  bom  in  Nebraska,  whose  name  and  date  of  birth  are  definitely 
known.  His  mother  spent  her  last  years  with  this  son,  and  is  remembered  in  Water- 
ville and  Biddeford,  where  Rev.  S.  P.  Merrill  had  pastorates.  She  died  in  Rochester, 
N.  Y.,  Nov.  12,  1882.  Rev.  S.  P.  Merrill  has  the  only  copy  of  the  original  edition  of  his 
father's  translation  of  the  History  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.  In  memory 
of  the  missionary  service  which  his  father  and  mother  performed  amonR  the  Indians  in 
Nebraska.  Dr.  Merrill  has  reprinted  this  translation  paRc  for  pane.  On  the  title  pajtc 
of  the  original  work  Mr.  Merrill  designates  himself  a  "Missionary  of  the  Baptist  Board 
of  Foreifcn  Missions,"  and  this  was  correct;  but  it  seemed  best  to  record  his  missionary 
service  in  this  chapter  devoted  to  home  mission  work  performed  by  Maine  Baptists. 

'Fidelia  Coburn  was  the  oldest  dauKhler  of  Eleazer  and  Mary  (Weston)  Coburn,  and 
was  born  at  Bloomfield,  Feb.  2,  1805. 


410  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

spared  she  would  devote  it  to  some  definite  Christian 
work.  It  was  to  carry  out  this  determination  that,  in  the 
summer  of  1842,  she  went  to  Queen's  Bush,  Canada,  as  a 
missionary  to  the  fugitive  slaves  who  had  made  their  way 
across  the  border.  Queen's  Bush  was  the  name  given  to 
a  tract  of  country  several  hundreds  of  miles  in  extent 
north  of  Lake  Erie  and  the  terminus  of  the  various  lines 
of  the  underground  railroad  running  through  Ohio.  It 
was  at  that  time  almost  an  unbroken  wilderness.  Fidelia 
Coburn  was  one  of  the  pioneers  in  mission  work  among 
the  refugees  in  the  Bush,  and  was  there  nearly  eight 
years  in  all,  making  a  few  brief  summer  visits  to  Maine. 
The  first  two  years  she  spent  at  Dawn  settlement,  with 
Rev.  Hiram  Wilson  and  wife.  Then  she  went  to  a  new 
settlement,  where  for  some  years  she  was  alone.  The 
story  of  her  life  there,  and  of  the  hardships  and  priva- 
tions she  endured,  as  gathered  from  her  letters,  is  most 
thrilling.  By  sharing  the  sufferings  and  labors  of  the 
colored  people  she  succeeded  in  winning  the  affection  and 
confidence  of  those  whom  oppression  had  rendered  suspi- 
cious. The  poor  fugitives  arrived  in  Canada  in  a  condi- 
tion of  utter  destitution  and  great  ignorance.  Their  most 
pressing  needs  were  relieved,  and  they  were  taught  as  far 
as  possible  to  help  themselves.  Both  adults  and  children 
were  gathered  into  schools.  It  was  soon  found  that  the 
most  promising  work  was  with  the  children.  Miss  Coburn 
had  from  a  dozen  to  twenty  of  these  in  her  own  family. 
The  school  she  organized  took  the  name  of  Mount  Hope 
Mission  School,  and  was  in  the  town  of  Waterloo,  Wel- 
lington District,  C.  W.  Oct.  6,  1847,  Fidelia  Coburn  was 
married  to  Rev.  John  S.  Brooks,  formerly  of  Duxbury, 
Mass. ,  who  had  already  been  two  years  in  the  Bush. 

The  Canadian  mission  work  was  undenominational.  It 
was  under  the  charge  of  a  committee,  and  was  sup- 
ported by  friends  of  the  anti-slavery  movement  in  all  the 
churches.  Collections  were  made  for  it  in  England,  and 
in  the  different  northern  States.  Mrs.  Brooks'  work  was 
supported  in  large  part  by  her  own  means,  with  gifts  from 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  411 

members  of  her  family  and  personal  friends.  Friends  of 
the  cause  in  the  Maine  churches  sent  her  contributions  of 
money  and  barrels  of  clothing  and  supplies.  In  one  letter 
she  acknowledges  the  receipt  of  barrels  from  Bloomfield, 
Hallowell,  Winthrop  and  New  Sharon.  She  erected  her 
own  house  and  schoolhouse. 

At  a  conference  held  in  1848,  at  which  the  different  sta- 
tions in  the  Bush  were  represented,  it  was  decided  that 
such  of  the  schools  as  had  not  been  taken  by  the  Canadian 
government  should  be  affiliated  with  some  missionary  soci- 
ety. Mount  Hope  Mission  School  was  taken  by  the  Amer- 
ican Missionary  Association,  and  the  school  property  was 
transferred  to  it  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brooks.  In  1849,  on 
account  of  changes  at  the  settlement,  many  settlers  hav- 
ing sold  their  farms  and  moved  away,  the  school  became 
reduced  so  that  it  could  be  left  with  the  assistant.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Brooks,  therefore,  decided  to  leave,  and  offered 
themselves  to  the  American  Missionary  Association  to  be 
sent  to  Africa. 

They  were  assigned  to  the  Mendi  mission,  a  mission  to 
wild  tribes  in  West  Africa,  which  had  been  founded  a  few 
years  before  as  the  result  of  the  shipwreck,  upon  Long 
Island,  of  a  slaver  containing  people  of  the  tribes.  The 
slaves  were  declared  free  by  the  United  States  courts,  and 
some  of  them  were  carried  back  to  Africa,  accompanied  by 
white  missionaries,  to  make  a  mission  settlement  among 
their  own  people.  One  of  the  shipwrecked  girls,  who  had 
been  educated  in  the  United  States,  went  back  with  Mrs. 
Brooks.  The  Mendi  mission  came  under  the  care  of  the 
American  Missionary  Association  at  the  organization  of 
the  latter,  and  remained  so  until  1885,  when  it  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  United  Brethren. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brooks  sailed  Nov.  2,  1849,  and  landed  at 
Freetown,  Sierra  Leone,  Dec.  14,  1849.  Mrs.  Brooks  was 
sick  with  a  high  fever  during  the  entire  voyage,  but  ral- 
lied upon  landing.  When,  however,  the  missionary  party 
re-embarked  to  go  up  the  York  river  to  the  mission,  she 


412  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

was  again  taken  with  fever,  and  died  at  York,  Sierra 
Leone,  Jan.  11,  1850. 

Mrs.  Brooks  was  a  devoted  Christian  woman,  deeply 
religious,  and  truly  consecrated  to  Christian  service.  She 
gave  the  best  years  of  her  life  to  work  for  the  fugitive 
slaves,  and  was  one  of  Africa's  early  missionary  martyrs. 
In  the  fourth  annual  report  of  the  American  Missionary 
Association,  this  noble  tribute  is  paid  to  the  memory  of 
Fidelia  Coburn  Brooks:  "Before  her  departure  from  this 
country,  she  had  greatly  won  upon  the  friends  of  human- 
ity by  her  self-denying  and  arduous  labors,  in  which  she 
had  freely  expended  a  large  part  of  the  property  she  had 
inherited.  Before  she  left  her  native  land,  she  made  over 
to  the  Association  the  whole  of  what  remained,  valued  at 
over  $1,000,  reserving  to  herself  only  a  sufficient  sum  to 
procure  a  decent  outfit  for  Africa.  She  possessed  a  sound 
mind  in  a  naturally  vigorous  body,  weakened,  however, 
more  than  she  supposed  by  her  hardships  in  Canada,  and 
had  in  a  remarkable  degree  consecrated  herself  to  the 
cause  of  Christ,  as  a  missionary  among  the  people  of  color, 
which  was  her  chosen  field.  Her  experience,  sound  judg- 
ment, and  devotedness  inspired  the  committee  with  a  very 
strong  persuasion  that  her  services  would  be  invaluable 
to  this  mission.  But  God  has  otherwise  ordered.  In  his 
inscrutable  providence,  although  she  was  permitted  to  see 
the  hills  of  Africa,  to  step  upon  that  vast  continent,  and 
to  converse  with  some  of  the  native  inhabitants,  she  was 
not  granted  the  indulgence  of  her  long-cherished  desire,  a 
participation  in  the  active  labors  of  the  mission.  She  was 
soon  cut  down.  With  her  dying  breath  she  rejoiced  that 
she  had  been  allowed  to  see  Africa,  there  breathe  out  her 
prayers  for  the  conversion  of  its  inhabitants,  and  bear 
her  dying  testimony  to  the  excellence  of  the  missionary 
cause." 

As  the  work  of  the  American  Baptist  Home  Mission 
Society  broadened  with  the  growth  of  the  country,  the 
interest  of  the  Baptists  in  Maine,  as  in  all  of  the  eastern 
States,  was  increasingly  enlisted,  especially  as  immigra- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  413 

tion  brought  to  our  shores  from  the  old  world  foreigners 
of  various  nationalities,  and  largely  Roman  Catholics. 
The  opening  of  new  territories,  soon  to  become  States,  also 
attracted  eastern  people  westward,  and  there  was  need  of 
workers  in  gathering  and  organizing  churches  and  in 
building  church  edifices.  Then,  at  the  close  of  the  Civil 
War,  work  in  behalf  of  the  freedmen  appealed  strongly  to 
those  who  had  been  interested  in  the  welfare  of  the  slaves 
in  earlier  days. 

To  this  work  among  the  freedmen  Rev.  G.  M.  P.  King, 
a  native  of  Oxford,  Me.,  and  a  graduate  of  Waterville 
College  in  1857,  early  devoted  himself.  At  the  close  of 
the  Civil  War,  while  pastor  at  East  Providence,  R.  I.,  he 
was  serving  on  the  Christian  Commission,  and  entered 
Richmond,  Va.,  with  the  Union  army,  April  3,  1865.  At 
once  he  was  impressed  with  the  importance  of  educa- 
tional work  in  behalf  of  the  freedmen,  and  resigning  his 
pastorate  he  devoted  himself  for  two  years  to  the  work 
of  teaching  freedmen  in  Richmond. 

In  1867,  he  became  principal  of  the  National  Theologi- 
cal Institute  in  Washington,  D.  C.  Among  the  students 
were  colored  preachers  who  could  read  only  certain  chap- 
ters in  the  Bible,  could  not  write  their  names,  yet  they 
knew  their  deficiencies  and  desired  help  in  securing  edu- 
cational training. 

The  year  1868  found  the  school  in  more  desirable  quar- 
ters on  Judiciary  Square.  The  building  was  a  war-time 
barrack,  with  two  rooms  poorly  equipped,  and  with  many 
discomforts.  An  assistant  was  employed,  classes  were 
formed  with  more  care,  and  plans  were  arranged  for  care- 
ful work.  A  class  of  young  women  was  admitted,  and 
before  the  close  of  the  year  the  school  was  well  organized. 

At  the  close  of  1868,  the  institute  was  united  with 
Wayland  Seminary,  an  institution  organized  in  1867  by 
the  American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society,  in  connec- 
tion with  the  labors  of  teachers  who  were  appointed  for 
educational  work  among  the  freedmen.  Dr.  King  was 
now  made  president  of  the  seminary.     One  of  Dr.  King's 


414  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

assistants  was  Miss  Mary  A.  Howe,  who  was  a  native  of 
Dexter,  Maine.  Her  father  died  when  she  was  six  years 
of  age,  and  she  knew  what  it  was  to  endure  hardness  in 
securing  her  education.  Miss  Howe  went  to  Richmond, 
Va. ,  in  1865,  and  gathered  a  school  of  six  hundred  pupils 
in  the  old  First  African  church.  She  was  in  charge  of 
this  school  two  years,  and  attracted  much  attention  by 
her  skill  in  molding  the  material  thus  acquired.  There  are 
strong  men,  filling  places  of  responsibility  to-day,  who  were 
trained  by  Miss  Howe  in  those  two  eventful  years.  Gov- 
ernor Coburn,  in  whose  household  Miss  Howe  had  found  a 
home  before  entering  upon  this  service,  visited  Richmond 
and  made  an  examination  of  Miss  Howe's  school.  It  was 
in  this  way  that  he  was  made  acquainted  with  work  in 
behalf  of  the  freedmen,  and  discovered  its  possibilities. 
Later  Miss  Howe  took  charge  of  a  school  for  poor  whites 
in  Wilmington,  N.  C.  At  the  close  of  her  year  in  Wil- 
mington she  began  her  work  in  Washington.  But  the 
work  proved  too  much  for  Miss  Howe's  delicate  nervous 
condition.  She  died  March  31,  1871,  and  was  brought 
back  to  her  native  State  for  burial  from  the  Coburn  home 
in  Showhegan. 

There  were  accommodations  at  Wayland  Seminary  at 
this  time  for  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  students,  but  it 
was  not  long  before  the  need  of  more  room  was  impera- 
tive, and  efforts  were  made  by  President  King  and  friends 
of  the  seminary  to  secure  funds  for  the  purchase  of  a 
new  location,  and  for  the  erection  of  suitable  buildings. 
In  1871,  a  new  site,  on  Meridian  Hill,  in  the  northern 
part  of  Washington,  was  purchased  at  a  cost  of  $3,375, 
and  work  on  the  seminary  building  was  commenced  in 
the  autumn  of  1873.  Though  only  partially  finished,  the 
building  was  occupied  in  the  autumn  of  1874.  During 
these  two  years  Dr.  King's  time  was  divided  between  his 
duties  at  the  seminary  and  work  in  raising  funds. 

At  the  close  of  the  seminary  year  for  1875,  it  occurred  to 
Dr.  King  that  with  four  students  giving  "Evenings  with 
Wayland  Seminary,"  he  might  interest  in  a  greater  degree 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  415 

friends  of  the  seminary  in  the  building  enterprise.  Dr. 
King  and  his  students  commenced  their  work  in  Wash- 
ington. Then  they  worked  their  way  to  Philadelphia, 
Elmira,  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  Cleveland,  Ohio,  Detroit,  Mich., 
then  back  through  New  York  into  New  England.  From 
the  larger  towns  they  moved  out  into  the  villages.  Maine 
helped  generously.  In  this  way  about  $4,000  were  secured 
toward  plastering  and  finishing  the  building.  When  com- 
pleted the  building  had  cost  about  $20,000. 

The  next  year  the  seminary  entered  its  new  home. 
The  number  of  teachers  was  increased  and  the  course  of 
study  advanced.  Friends  and  Sunday-schools  in  Maine 
supported  students  and  aided  in  furnishing  rooms  in  the 
seminary.  Many  of  these  rooms  bore  the  names  of  men 
and  women  known  and  honored  in  Maine  and  beyond  the 
boundaries  of  the  State.  Students  now  came  to  the  semi- 
nary in  increasing  numbers  from  all  parts  of  the  South. 

More  room  was  soon  needed,  especially  for  the  accom- 
modation of  young  women.  In  1881,  Hon.  R.  0.  Fuller 
and  wife  of  Cambridge,  Mass.,  visited  the  school.  While 
they  were  there  Dr.  King  remarked  that  an  addition  to  the 
main  building  for  the  young  women  was  greatly  needed. 
Before  they  left  Mr.  Fuller  said  to  his  wife,  '  'And  so  you 
would  like  to  have  a  Parker  Hall  added  to  this  building  in 
memory  of  your  mother."  Mrs.  Fuller  assented,  and  Mr. 
Fuller  said  to  Dr.  King,  "I  will  give  one  thousand  dollars 
toward  the  addition."  This  was  the  beginning  of  the 
movement  for  the  erection  of  the  young  women's  dormi- 
tory, which,  including  furnishings,  cost  $12,541.  It  was 
dedicated  Feb.  22,  1882.  At  this  time  there  were  con- 
nected with  the  seminary  one  hundred  and  ten  students 
and  ten  teachers. 

The  seminary  continued  to  prosper.  At  length  it  became 
evident  that  the  buildings  would  no  longer  accommodate 
those  who  desired  to  avail  themselves  of  the  advantages 
of  the  seminary.  A  new  location,  with  larger  grounds, 
was  sought.  Dr.  King  thought  he  had  found  a  favorable 
site,  but  plans  were  now  in  contemplation  by  the  Home 


416  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

Mission  Society  which  made  it  desirable  to  unite  the  sem- 
inary with  the  Richmond  Theological  Institute  at  Rich- 
mond, Va.  This  was  in  1898.  It  was  a  disappointment 
to  Dr.  King  that  the  work  in  Washington,  which  he  had 
prosecuted  with  so  much  success,  should  be  brought  to  a 
close,  and  this  and  the  illness  of  his  wife  led  him  to  ask  to 
be  relieved  of  the  presidency  which  he  had  held  so  long, 
and  with  so  much  honor  to  himself  and  the  Society.  This 
request  was  granted,  but  in  1900,  after  the  Virginia  Union 
University  had  entered  upon  its  new  and  prosperous  era, 
Dr.  King  was  invited  to  resume  his  connection  with  the 
work  by  taking  charge  of  the  English  department,  and  by 
accepting  a  position  in  the  theological  department.  This 
invitation  he  accepted,  and  in  this  new  work  Dr.  King  is 
still  devoting  himself  with  old-time  interest  and  efficiency 
to  the  advancement  of  the  colored  people  of  the  South. 

During  the  most  of  these  busy  years  Dr.  King  had  the 
constant  help  of  his  cultured  wife,  who,  as  long  as  her 
health  and  strength  permitted,  was  one  of  his  most  effi- 
cient helpers.  She  loved  to  do  good,  and  she  had  her  part 
in  the  splendid  achievements  of  Wayland  Seminary. 

Among  the  teachers  in  Wayland  Seminary  who  came 
from  Maine  were  Miss  Lizzie  R.  Webb  of  Skowhegan  and 
Mr.  Albert  M.  Richardson  of  Hebron,  both  of  whom  were 
valuable  assistants,  serving  two  years  each.  Mr.  Richard- 
son was  a  graduate  of  Colby,  class  of  1886,  and  another 
graduate  of  Colby,  Dr.  J.  B.  Simpson,  is  one  of  the  most 
useful  and  efficient  men  connected  with  the  Virginia  Union 
University. 

Gov.  Abner  Coburn  of  Skowhegan  was  a  generous  friend 
of  Wayland  Seminary  for  several  years  before  his  death, 
and  in  his  will  he  bequeathed  fifty  thousand  dollars  to  the 
seminary  in  memory  of  his  deceased  sister,  "Fidelia  C. 
Brooks,  late  missionary  to  Africa,  and  Mary  A.  Howe,  late 
teacher  in  the  seminary."  In  the  new  Virginia  Univer- 
sity in  Richmond,  Va.,  the  memory  of  this  generous  gift 
of  Governor  Coburn  is  perpetuated  in  the  fine  library 
building,  which  is  known  as  Coburn  Hall. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  417 

Mrs.  C.  B.  Davis  Thayer  of  Paris,  Maine,  was  another 
generous  friend  of  Wayland  Seminary.  An  alcove  in  the 
library  bears  the  name  of  C.  B.  Davis,  the  beloved  pastor 
of  the  church  on  Paris  Hill. 

One  who  has  been  prominently  identified  with  the  edu- 
cational work  of  the  American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Soci- 
ety, Charles  F.  Meserve,  LL.  D. ,  is  not  a  native  of  Maine, 
but  of  North  Abington,  Mass.,  yet  he  is  a  graduate  of 
Colby,  class  of  1877,  and  his  first  wife,  Abbie  Mary  Whit- 
tier,  was  a  daughter  of  David  and  Mary  Whittier  (Mary 
Whittier  was  a  twin  sister  of  the  late  Rev.  J.  Ricker, 
D.  D.)  of  Bangor,  while  the  present  Mrs.  Meserve  is  a 
daughter  of  the  late  Dea.  John  N.  Philbrick  of  Waterville. 
Dr.  Meserve  is  accordingly  so  closely  indentified  with 
Maine  that  mention  very  properly  may  be  made  of  his 
service  in  connection  with  the  service  of  those  from  the 
State  of  Maine  who  have  had  a  part  in  the  work  of  the 
American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society. 

Having  served  as  principal  of  the  High  School  in  Rock- 
land, Mass.,  1877-85,  and  of  the  Oak  St.  School,  Spring- 
field, Mass.,  1885-89,  Dr.  Meserve  resigned  to  accept  the 
superintendency  of  Haskell  Institute,  Lawrence,  Kan., 
the  largest  United  States  Indian  industrial  training  school 
in  the  West.  Although  a  government  school,  this  was  a 
good  field  for  home  missionary  work.  The  school  had 
a  corps  of  fifty  teachers  and  employes  and  five  hundred 
Indian  boys  and  girls,  representing  more  than  thirty 
different  tribes  from  nearly  all  of  the  western  States  and 
Territories.  ♦ 

The  work  done  was  of  the  most  practical  nature. 
The  children  of  the  prairie  and  the  forest  needed  to  be 
instructed  in  morality,  in  religion,  in  the  acquisition  of  an 
English  education  and  the  learning  of  trades.  Half  of 
each  day  was  devoted  to  work  in  the  school-rooms  and  the 
other  half  to  work  on  the  farm,  in  the  garden  and  the 
various  shops,  in  which  all  of  the  usual  industries  were 
carried  on.  There  were  a  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  a  Sunday- 
school  connected  with  the  institution,  and  voluntary  reli- 

28 


418  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

gious  meetings  were  held.  The  Indian  boys  and  girls 
were  encouraged  to  attend  the  churches  in  the  city  of 
Lawrence,  which  was  near  by,  and  large  numbers  of  them 
did  so,  and  some  were  admitted  to  membership.  During 
the  five  years  of  his  superintendence  substantial  progress 
was  made  in  raising  the  moral,  the  religious,  the  industrial 
and  the  intellectual  atmosphere  of  the  institution. 

Mr.  Meserve  served  as  superintendent  of  Haskell  Insti- 
tute until  1894.  He  was  then  invited  to  become  presi- 
dent of  Shaw  University,  at  Raleigh,  N.  C,  one  of  the 
large  schools  supported  in  the  South  by  the  American  Bap- 
tist Home  Mission  Society.  Reluctant  to  leave  his  work 
at  Haskell  Institute,  he  at  first  declined  to  consider  the 
question  of  change ;  but  after  making  a  trip  to  Raleigh, 
and  having  looked  over  the  field  and  seen  its  great  needs 
and  great  opportunities,  he  resigned  and  entered  upon  his 
work  at  Shaw  University  in  March,  1894. 

The  ten  years  of  his  presidency  at  Shaw  University 
have  been  years  characterized  by  constant  and  earnest 
service.  A  large  portion  of  the  summers  has  been  spent 
in  the  North,  directing  the  correspondence  of  the  institu- 
tion, addressing  associations  and  churches  and  meeting 
individuals  in  the  interest  of  the  work.  Through  various 
stages  of  growth  Shaw  University  has  developed  into  an 
institution  with  an  enrollment  of  five  hundred  students. 
The  institution  has  industrial  departments  for  young  men 
and  young  women,  in  charge  of  trained  instructors,  with 
the  most  approved  modern  methods.  There  are  also  nor- 
mal, college  and  missionary  training  departments,  as  well 
as  departments  of  law,  medicine,  pharmacy,  theology  and 
music,  and  recently  there  has  been  added  a  well-equipped 
and  up-to-date  cooking  school.  Dr.  Meserve  has  asso- 
ciated with  him  in  his  teaching  force  Miss  Ida  J.  Brown 
of  Bangor,  Miss  Emily  C.  Ayer,  a  native  of  Maine,  daugh- 
ter of  the  late  President  Ayer  of  Jackson  College,  Jack- 
son, Miss.,  as  financial  secretary.  Miss  Jennie  M.  Linton 
of  Houlton,  and  Rev.  S.  P.  Merrill,  D.  D.,  formerly  pas- 
tor of  the  Baptist  church  in  Waterville,  as  corresponding 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  419 

secretary.    Miss  Alice  M.  Emerson  of  Oakland,  Me.,  is 
superintendent  of  the  hospital  and  assists  in  office  work. 

June  25,  1879,  in  connnection  with  the  anniversaries  in 
Bangor,  a  Woman's  Maine  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society, 
auxiliary  to  the  Woman's  American  Baptist  Home  Mis- 
sion Society  in  Boston,  was  organized,  with  Mrs.  W.  G. 
Sargent  of  Sargentville  as  president,  Mrs.  S.  G.  Sargent 
of  Augusta  as  recording  secretary  and  Mrs.  J.  Ricker  of 
Augusta  as  treasurer.  In  1881,  Mrs.  Anna  Sargent  Hunt 
of  Augusta  was  made  State  vice  president  of  the  Woman's 
American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society.  She  immedi- 
ately placed  herself  in  communication  with  the  women  of 
our  Baptist  churches  in  Maine,  and  the  children  of  the 
Sunday-schools,  with  a  view  to  the  organization  of  wom- 
en's societies  and  mission  bands.  ^  Associational  directors 
were  appointed,  and  in  various  ways  the  interests  of  the 
Society  in  the  State  were  promoted.  Mrs.  Hunt  has  been 
prominently  identified  with  the  work  from  that  time. 
Since  1882  she  has  filled  the  office  of  general  vice  presi- 
dent. Mrs.  Elizabeth  H.  Bonney  of  Portland,  especially 
through  her  connection  with  the  board  at  Boston,  has  also 
been  prominently  identified  with  the  Society's  work.  As 
the  work  broadened  two  vice  presidents  for  Maine  were 
appointed,  one  for  the  eastern  and  one  for  the  western 
part  of  the  State. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Society  held  in  Skowhegan,  Oct. 
4,  1881,  the  members  of  the  Free  St.  society,  Portland, 
reported  that  for  two  years  they  had  carried  on  home 
work  in  connection  with  their  foreign  work.  More  and 
more  the  women  in  our  churches  have  made  like  combina- 
tions, and  for  many  years  their  meetings  in  connection 
with  our  anniversaries  have  been  alike  in  the  interest  of 
home  and  foreign  missions. 

The  following  are  the  receipts  of  the  Woman's  Ameri- 
can Baptist  Home  Mission  Society  from  Maine : 

'  In  February,  1877.  Mrs.  S.  G.  Sargent  at  Aufrusta  organized  a  Foreign  Mission  Hand. 
In  1882  the  home  interests  were  included,  and  the  little  "Busy  Bees"  an-  now  known  aa 
the  "Sargt'nt  Mission  Band"  of  AiifTUStJi     the  oldest  in  the  State. 


420  HISTORY  OP  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 


1880, 

$  26.00 

1892, 

$2,919.12 

1881, 

150.25 

1893, 

2,598.63 

1882, 

731.40 

1894, 

2,296.46 

1883, 

1,514.15 

1895, 

2,512.92 

1884, 

1,518.40 

1896, 

2,402.66 

1885, 

1,648.51 

1897, 

2,562.98 

1886, 

1,696.27 

1898, 

2,120.25 

1887, 

2,235.96 

1899, 

2,050.29 

1888, 

2,063.92 

1900, 

2,627.93 

1889, 

2,353.81 

1901, 

1,874.49 

1890, 

2,552.94 

1902, 

2,540.50 

18M, 

2,572.63 

1903, 

2,166.01 

Total,  $47,736.48 

In  the  Alaska  orphanage  the  women  in  our  Maine 
churches  have  had  a  special  interest  from  the  fact  that 
Mrs.  McWhinnie,  the  wife  of  a  former  pastor  of  the  Free 
St.  church,  Portland,  is  superintendent  of  Alaska  work. 
The  receipts  for  the  orphanage  from  the  women  in  our 
Maine  churches  have  been  as  follows  :  ^ 


1891, 

$569.33 

1898, 

$445.72 

1892, 

617.40 

1899, 

498.33 

1893, 

346.71 

1900, 

918.03 

1894, 

485.97 

1901, 

433.96 

1895, 

506.97 

1902, 

603.07 

1896, 

439.15 

1903, 

460.74 

1897, 

409.90 

Total,  $6,735.28 

^  Receipts  of  the  American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society  from  the  Baptists  of  Maine 
will  be  found  in  the  Appendix. 


JAMES   H.    HANSON,    LL.    D. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


The  Academies. 

Plans  for  the  enlargement  of  the  number  of  students  at 
Colby  University  occupied  the  attention  of  Dr.  Champlin 
in  the  last  years  of  his  presidency.  For  a  long  time  he 
had  been  impressed  with  the  value  to  the  college  of  the 
Waterville  Classical  Institute,  then  under  the  principal- 
ship  of  Dr.  James  H.  Hanson.  With  suitable  financial 
resources,  the  institute.  Dr.  Champlin  believed,  could  be 
made  much  more  valuable  to  the  college,  and  at  the  meet- 
ing of  the  Maine  Baptist  Education  Society  at  Bath,  June 
19,  1872,  he  suggested  the  importance  of  raising  $50,000 
for  an  endowment  of  the  institute.  The  suggestion  was 
received  with  favor,  and  it  was  voted  that  it  was  expe- 
dient to  raise  such  a  sum  for  this  purpose.  At  the  meet- 
ing of  the  Society  in  the  following  year  the  matter  was 
again  presented,  and  a  committee  was  appointed  for  the 
purpose  of  bringing  the  matter  before  the  trustees  of 
Colby.  This  was  done,  and  the  Colby  trustees  referred 
the  matter  to  a  committee.  April  4,  1874,  Hon.  Abner 
Coburn,  chairman  of  the  board  of  trustees,  addressed  a 
letter  to  Dr.  Hanson,  principal  of  the  institute,  offering 
to  give  $50,000  to  the  institute  as  an  endowment  provided 
$50,000  more  should  be  raised  to  endow  two  other  insti- 
tutions of  similar  character,  one  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
State,  and  the  other  in  the  western,  and  that  at  least 
$40,000  of  the  amount  subscribed  by  him  should  be  set 
apart  and  kept  as  a  permanent  fund,  the  interest  only  to 
be  used  annually  forever. 

This  offer  was  accepted  by  the  trustees  of  Colby  Uni- 
versity. Hebron  and  Houlton  academies  were  selected  as 
the  other  two  institutions  to  be  benefited  by  the  move- 


422  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

ment,  and  Rev.  A.  R.  Crane,  then  pastor  of  the  Baptist 
church  in  Hallowell,  was  appointed  financial  agent  to  raise 
the  money  required  to  meet  Governor  Coburn's  offer. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  trustees  of  Colby,  in  June, 
1877,  a  plan  for  the  re-organization  of  the  three  acade- 
mies, devised  by  Dr.  Champlin,  was  adopted,  and  the 
Waterville  Classical  Institute  and  Hebron  and  Houlton 
Academies  were  affiliated  with  Colby  University.  Of  the 
three  academies  Hebron  was  the  oldest.  The  facts  with 
reference  to  its  beginnings  have  already  been  presented. 
A  principal's  home  was  erected  in  1829.  During  the  agi- 
tation with  reference  to  the  establishment  of  a  theological 
institution  in  Maine,  in  1837,  the  superintending  committee 
was  authorized  to  correspond  with  the  board  of  the  Bap- 
tist Theological  Association  with  reference  to  the  estab- 
lishment of  such  an  institution  in  connection  with  Hebron 
Academy ;  but  Thomaston  was  finally  selected  as  the  loca- 
tion of  the  new  theological  school.  In  1845,  it  was  decided 
to  erect  a  new  building  for  the  academy.  This  was  done, 
and  the  building  was  ready  for  occupancy  in  the  fall  term 
of  1847. 

In  a  quiet  way  the  academy  thus  far  had  carried  on 
its  work.  It  had  been  served  by  faithful  teachers,  and 
among  its  graduates  were  men  who  had  won  distinction 
in  the  various  walks  of  life.  Familiar  names  among  the 
principals  from  1847  are  those  of  George  G.  Fairbanks, 
A.  K.  P.  Small,  Mark  H.  Dunnell,  Charles  J.  Prescott, 
Joseph  F.  Elder,  A.  C.  Herrick,  and  John  F.  Moody;* 
while  among  Hebron  students  are  found  the  names  of 
Seba  Smith,  Henry  Bond,  Adam  Wilson,  Elijah  Hamlin, 
John  B.  Brown,  St.  John  Smith,  Henry  B.  Smith,  Wil- 
liam Pitt  Fessenden,  Hannibal  Hamlin,  John  D.  Long  and 
Eugene  Hale. 

But  a  new  era  in  the  history  of  the  institution  opened 
with  the  movement  in  1874  to  endow  three  preparatory 
schools  to  be  affiliated  with  Colby  University.    The  real 

'  A  full  list  of  the  preceptors  at  Hebron,  prepared  by  Judge  Bonney.  is  given  in  the 
Hebron  Semester  for  November,  1891. 


B.  F.  STURTEVANT. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  423 

estate  of  Hebron  Academy  at  that  time  consisted  of  about 
fifteen  acres  of  land,  on  which  was  located  an  acad- 
emy building  of  brick,  with  two  recitation  rooms,  without 
desks,  and  two  other  small  rooms,  8x12.  There  were  also 
on  the  grounds  a  chapel,  erected  in  1867,  and  a  boarding 
house,  erected  in  1827,  the  whole  property  having  an  esti- 
mated value  of  not  more  than  $5,000. 

Dr.  Crane,  in  his  endowment  effort,  secured  about  $40,000 
of  the  amount  required  to  meet  Governor  Coburn's  condi- 
tional offer.  On  account  of  a  period  of  financial  stringency 
in  the  country,  however,  the  completion  of  the  undertaking 
was  delayed.  At  length  brighter  days  dawned.  In  1882, 
a  committee,  consisting  of  President  Pepper,  Rev.  A.  R. 
Crane  and  Judge  Bonney,  was  appointed  by  the  trustees 
of  the  college  to  raise  the  amount  necessary  in  order  to 
complete  the  endowment  subscription.  Subsequently  Dr. 
Ricker  was  added  to  the  committee.  A  generous  gift  from 
Hon.  E.  C.  Fitz  of  Boston  was  an  encouragement  to  the 
committee,  and  the  full  amount  was  now  soon  obtained.^ 

In  1885,  Mr.  W.  E.  Sargent  became  principal  of  the 
academy,  another  gift,  but  a  gift  whose  value  cannot  be 
estimated.  It  was  soon  evident  that  larger  accommo- 
dations must  be  provided  for  the  increasing  number  of 
students.  Mr.  Sargent  presented  the  needs  of  a  new 
academy  building  to  the  trustees  of  Colby  at  their  annual 
meeting  in  1886.  Soon  after,  Mr.  B.  F.  Sturtevant  of 
Jamaica  Plain,  Mass.,  who  as  a  member  of  the  board 
heard  Mr.  Sargent's  plea  and  was  deeply  impressed  by  it, 
shortly  after  offered  to  give  the  academy  $10,000  toward 
the  erection  of  a  new  building  provided  the  friends  of 
the  academy  would  raise  $30,000  in  addition.  Rev.  C.  M. 
Emery  was  appointed  financial   agent  of   the  academy 

'  In  1875,  while  Dr.  Crane  was  solicitins:  subscriptions  to  the  academy  endowment  fund, 
he  interviewed,  amonj?  others,  David  Anderson  and  his  wife,  Nancy  Anderson,  of  Liver- 
more  Falls.  As  a  result  of  that  interview  wills  were  made  by  which  the  entire  property 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Anderson  should  pro  to  Hebron  Academy.  If  the  property  amounted  to 
less  than  $10,000  at  the  death  of  the  survivor,  it  was  to  accumulate  until  that  amount 
was  reached.  Mrs.  Anderson  died  in  1883,  and  David  Anderson  Sept.  20,  1885.  In  1890, 
the  academy  received  the  $10,000,  now  known  as  the  Anderson  Fund. 


424  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

and  commenced  his  work  in  April,  1887.  In  this  effort 
Mr.  Emery  had  the  untiring  assistance  of  Hon.  Percival 
Bonney  of  Portland,  a  graduate  of  Hebron,  and  enthusias- 
tically devoted  to  all  its  interests.  In  an  address  before 
the  Boston  Social  Union  in  1889,  Judge  Bonney  presented 
the  claims  of  Hebron  in  a  forceful  address.  About  $15,000 
were  then  needed  to  meet  Mr.  Sturtevant's  conditional 
offer.  That  sum  and  more  was  secured.  Including  Mr. 
Sturtevant's  $10,000,  the  total  amount  of  cash  actually 
paid  in  was  about  $48,000.  Additional  land  for  the  acad- 
emy was  acquired  by  purchase,  and  also  about  four  acres 
were  donated  by  Mr.  Edward  S.  Dunham,  a  member  of 
the  board  of  trustees.  An  academy  building,  since  known 
as  Sturtevant  Hall,  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  about  $30,000. 
A  house  for  the  principal  was  also  erected  at  a  cost  of 
about  $5,000.  A  swamp  in  front  of  the  academy  build- 
ing was  drained,  the  grounds  graded,  and  a  system  of 
sewerage  was  established  at  a  cost  of  about  $4,000.  At 
the  same  time  an  appropriation  of  $1,500  was  made  to  the 
Baptist  church  in  Hebron,  to  aid  in  the  enlargement  of 
the  church  edifice,  the  academy  to  have  the  free  use  of  the 
same  for  public  purposes.  After  meeting  these  various 
expenditures,  the  academy  had  $5,000  remaining,  which 
was  added  to  the  Hebron  endowment  fund  in  the  hands 
of  the  college. 

Later,  by  the  will  of  Dea.  Josiah  W.  Cook  of  Cam- 
bridge, Mass.,  upwards  of  $41,000  came  to  Hebron  Acad- 
emy, a  part  of  which  was  used  to  reimburse  the  college 
for  advances  made  on  income  account,  about  $19,000  were 
added  to  the  Hebron  endowment  fund,  and  the  rest  was 
used  in  removing  and  remodeling  the  old  chapel  so  as  to 
give  the  academy  a  gymnasium.  Later  a  part  of  this 
building  was  devoted  to  dormitory  purposes  for  boys. 

Sturtevant  Hall  was  dedicated  June  23,  1891.  Judge 
Bonney,  president  of  the  board  of  trustees,  presided.  Rev. 
A.  K.  P.  Small,  D.  D.,  of  Portland,  a  former  principal  of 
the  academy,  delivered  an  address  in  the  new  assembly 
hall,  vindicating  for  the  academy  its  place  in  our  system 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  425 

of  education  and  closing  with  these  impressive  words  :  "I 
have  glanced  at  the  catalogue  of  1850,— faded  reminder  of 
my  first  acquaintance  here.  Of  that  entire  board  of  trus- 
tees and  examining  committee  one  name  alone  represents 
a  living  one  on  earth  ;  he  retired  from  service  in  a  western 
State.  The  name  of  my  brother  Richardson'  represents 
the  only  living  one  associated  with  me  on  the  board 
of  instruction.  Of  those  one  hundred  students  and  the 
honored  citizens  who  then  frequented  these  rural  paths, 
how  large  a  proportion  have  graduated  from  earth.  Of 
the  heads  of  families  in  all  these  dwellings  scarcely  one 
remains."  The  prayer  of  dedication  was  offered  by  Rev. 
Sumner  Estes  of  Sanford.  At  a  meeting  in  the  afternoon 
there  were  addresses  by  Hon.  George  B.  Barrows  of  Frye- 
burg,  a  grandson  of  Dea.  William  Barrows,  Rev.  L.  S. 
Tripp,  Hon.  George  F.  Emery,  Hon.  Mark  H.  Bunnell, 
Principal  J.  F.  Moody,  Principal  Geo.  C.  Purington,  Presi- 
dent A.  W.  Small  of  Colby,  Rev.  Joseph  Ricker,  D.  D., 
and  Principal  W.  E.  Sargent.  In  connection  with  these 
addresses,  Harry  E.  Hamilton,  of  the  graduating  class, 
delivered  his  graduating  oration  on  "The  Great  Debt  we 
Owe  to  Hebron  Academy,"  and  the  exercises  were  closed 
with  the  singing  of  a  hymn  written  for  the  occasion  by 
Rev.  S.  F.  Smith,  D.  D.,  the  author  of  "My  country,  'tis 
of  thee." 

When  the  Hebron  church  was  securing  funds  for  the 
improvements  in  its  edifice  made  in  1892,  Miss  Sarah  B. 
Barrows,  a  missionary  in  Burma,  sent  a  gift  of  $100  in 
memory  of  her  father  and  mother.  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Allen 
Barrows,  who  were  at  one  time  members  of  this  church. 
At  Judge  Bonney's  suggestion  this  was  made  a  student's 
pew  fund,  the  income  to  be  paid  to  the  church  in  aid  of 
its  work.  This  fund  has  been  increased  from  time  to  time 
and  now  amounts  to  about  $600. 

By  the  will  of  Mrs.  W.  E.  Wording  of  Grand  Forks, 
North  Dakota,  who  died  in  Boston,  Jan.  24,  1890,  there 

'  Rev.  S.  D.  Richardson,  who  died  in  Portland,  March  20,  1904. 


426  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

came  at  length  $5,000  to  the  academy,  and  by  the  will  of 
Mrs.  Ruth  H.  Roberts  of  Rollinsford,  N.  H.,  who  died  Feb. 
5,  1901,  a  legacy  of  $2,000  came  to  the  academy,  to  be 
known  as  the  Hiram  R.  and  Ruth  Roberts  Scholarship 
Fund,  the  income  to  be  used  for  needy  students. 

Mr.  B.  F.  Sturtevant  of  Jamaica  Plain,  Mass.,  died 
before  the  completion  of  Sturtevant  Hall.  In  1898  his 
widow,  Mrs.  Phebe  R.  Sturtevant,  who  had  taken  a  deep 
interest  in  the  work  of  the  academy,  visiting  it  from  time 
to  time,  made  known  her  purpose  to  erect  at  Hebron  a 
dormitory  for  girls.  Plans  were  prepared  in  accordance 
with  her  suggestion,  and  the  work  of  construction  was 
soon  commenced,  Mrs.  Sturtevant's  only  requirement  being 
that  the  work  should  be  done  in  the  most  thorough, 
substantial  manner.  The  building  was  completed  in  the 
summer  of  1900,  and  with  its  furnishings  cost  about 
$84,000.  It  is  one  of  the  best  edifices  of  its  kind  in  New 
England.  The  dedication  occurred  June  23,  1900,  and  the 
dedicatory  address  was  by  Mrs.  Sturtevant's  pastor,  Rev. 
Howard  B.  Grose  of  Jamaica  Plain,  Mass.  The  keys  of 
the  building,  in  Mrs.  Sturtevant's  behalf,  were  presented 
to  Principal  Sargent  by  Mrs.  Sturtevant's  son-in-law,  Mr. 
E.  N.  Foss.  Mr.  Sargent  made  a  fitting  response.  The 
other  speakers  were  Miss  Ella  B.  Russell,  of  the  graduat- 
ing class,  Mr.  W.  W.  Stetson,  State  superintendent  of 
schools.  Rev.  G.  M.  P.  King,  D.  D.,  Miss  Anna  Barrows, 
a  great  granddaughter  of  Dea.  William  Barrows,  Rev. 
H.  S.  Burrage,  D.  D.,  President  Nathaniel  Butler  of  Colby 
College,  Miss  Grace  Mathews,  dean  of  the  Women's  Col- 
lege of  Colby,  and  Congressman  Littlefield. 

Mrs.  Sturtevant  continued  to  manifest  a  deep  inter- 
est in  the  academy,  and  when  she  died,  April  17,  1903, 
she  bequeathed  to  the  institution  the  munificent  sum  of 
$150,000.^    Hebron  Academy,  therefore,  is  now  the  best 

*  In  the  Hebron  Semester  for  March,  1904,  Principal  Sargent  pays  a  beautiful  tribute 
to  Mrs.  Sturtevant's  memory.  In  it  he  says :  "Some  say  Sturtevant  Home  is  her  monu- 
ment. As  I  knew  her,  I  do  not  think  she  so  regrarded  it.  It  was  a  part,  an  essential 
part.  Her  remarkable  gift  of  $150,000  in  her  will  is  her  best  testimony  that  she  had  a 
very  clear  vision  of  her  monument,  and  that  a  school  equipped  and  endowed." 


MRS.    PHEBE   R.    STURTEVANT. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  427 

endowed  of  our  four  Baptist  academies  in  Maine.  It  has 
had  an  honorable  history  for  one  hundred  years.  Wor- 
thily that  history  was  celebrated  June  16,  1904,  when  an 
oration  was  delivered  by  Hon.  John  D.  Long.  Other 
speakers  emphasized  the  value  of  such  an  institution 
among  the  Oxford  hills,  and  paid  a  just  tribute  of  praise 
to  the  present  principal  of  the  academy,  Mr.  W.  E.  Sar- 
gent. The  academy  enters  upon  a  new  century  of  service 
better  equipped  than  at  any  other  period  in  its  history, 
and  with  financial  resources  ample  for  its  present  needs. 

COBURN  CLASSICAL  INSTITUTE. 

The  institute  was  founded  in  1829,  and  was  then  known, 
and  for  many  years  afterward,  as  Waterville  Academy. 
Dr.  Chaplin,  who  early  saw  the  necessity  of  such  a  school 
as  a  preparatory  school  for  the  college,  solicited  funds  for 
the  erection  of  a  building,  and  the  land  on  which  it  stood 
was  the  gift  of  Hon.  Timothy  Boutelle.  The  first  principal 
of  the  academy  was  Mr.  Henry  W.  Paine,  then  a  senior  in 
the  college  and  eighteen  years  old,  afterwards  one  of  the 
leading  members  of  the  Boston  bar.  The  academy  was 
opened  in  August,  1829.  Mr.  Paine  held  the  principalship 
only  a  few  months,  and  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Robert  W. 
Wood,  who  conducted  the  school  during  the  remainder  of 
the  year.  He  was  followed  by  Mr.  George  I.  Chace,  a 
graduate  of  Brown  University  in  1830.  His  term  of  ser- 
vice was  only  nine  months,  as  he  was  recalled  to  Brown, 
where  he  served  the  college  as  professor  for  many  years, 
and  for  a  while  he  was  acting  president.  In  August,  1831, 
Mr.  Henry  Paine,  a  graduate  of  Waterville  College,  class 
of  1823,  became  principal,  and  remained  in  the  position 
five  years.  A  catalogue  for  the  year  1834  shows  that 
there  were  connected  with  the  academy  in  that  year  205 
students,  of  whom  37  in  the  second  term  were  pursuing 
the  classical  course. 

Among  those  who  followed  Mr.  Paine  in  the  principalship 

were Freeman,  Moses  Burbank,  Lorenzo  B.  Allen, 

Charles  R.  Train  and  Nathaniel  G.  Rogers,  a  nephew  of 


428  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

Hon.  Timothy  Boutelle.  Mr.  Allen,  who  was  an  excellent 
classical  scholar,  afterward  entered  upon  the  work  of 
the  Christian  ministry  in  Maine,  removed  to  the  West 
and  was  president  of  Burlington  University,  at  Burling- 
ton, Iowa.  Mr.  Train,  a  graduate  of  Brown  University, 
was  a  son  of  Rev.  Arthur  Train  of  Framingham,  Mass., 
and  became  a  prominent  lawyer  in  Boston  and  attorney- 
general  of  Massachusetts.  Lack  of  financial  resources  and 
consequent  frequent  changes  in  the  principalship  proved 
disastrous,  and  in  1839  the  academy  was  closed,  and  so 
remained  for  two  years.  But  the  importance  of  the  acad- 
emy to  the  college  became  only  the  more  evident  in  this 
time.  In  1841,  the  academy  was  re-opened,  and  Mr. 
Charles  H.  Wheeler,  then  a  student  in  the  college,  was 
made  principal. 

In  the  following  winter,  Feb.  12,  1842,  an  act  of  incor- 
poration was  obtained  from  the  Legislature,  and  Samuel 
Plaisted,  Stephen  Stark,  Zebulon  Sanger,  Edwin  Noyes, 
Harrison  A.  Smith,  David  Garland,  Amasa  Dingley,  John- 
son Williams,  Stephen  Thayer,  and  Samuel  Taylor  were 
made  a  board  of  trustees,  to  *  'take  and  hold  by  gift,  grant 
or  otherwise,  any  real  or  personal  estate,  the  annual 
income  of  which  shall  not  exceed  fifteen  hundred  dollars 
.  .  .  for  the  purpose  of  promoting  piety  and  morality, 
and  for  the  instruction  of  youth  in  such  languages,  arts 
and  sciences  as  the  said  trustees  may  direct." 

In  the  latter  part  of  1842,  Nathaniel  Butler,  a  graduate 
of  the  college,  class  of  1842,  was  principal  of  the  academy. 
But  in  the  fall  of  1843,  the  services  of  James  H.  Hanson 
were  secured.  A  graduate  of  Waterville  College,  class  of 
1842,  he  had  taught  three  terms  in  the  town  of  Hampden, 
and  was  ready  for  just  such  an  enterprise  as  now  offered. 
The  school  opened  with  five  students,  but  by  "his  exact 
scholarship,  his  rare  administrative  ability,  his  ever  burn- 
ing enthusiasm  and  prodigious  capacity  for  hard  work," 
Mr.  Hanson  soon  made  "this  feeble,  languishing  school" 
"into  a  large  and  prosperous  seminary,"^  though  there 

'  Address  of  William  Mathews.  LL.  D..  at  the  Semi-Centeanial  of  Coburn  Classical 
Institute. 


WATERVII.LE   CLASSICAL   INSTITITE. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  429 

were  many  discouragements.  The  number  of  students 
steadily  increased,  additional  instructors  were  secured,  but 
the  remuneration  was  wholly  inadequate,  and  there  was 
no  money  for  expenditure  in  repairs  and  improvements 
except  what  was  furnished  by  the  principal  from  his  own 
scanty  income.  In  the  spring  of  1854,  having  carried  his 
heavy  burden  of  care  and  responsibility  twelve  years,  Mr. 
Hanson  resigned,  and  accepted  the  principalship  of  the 
High  School  in  Eastport. 

Mr.  George  B.  Gow,  a  graduate  of  the  college,  class  of 
1852,  who  had  been  associated  with  Mr.  Hanson  in  the 
work  of  the  school,  became  his  successor,  and  remained 
until  the  summer  of  1855.  Mr.  James  T.  Bradbury,  a 
graduate  of  the  college,  class  of  1855,  held  the  principal- 
ship  until  the  winter  of  1857,  when  he  was  succeeded  by 
Mr.  Isaac  S.  Hamblen,  who  entered  upon  his  duties  while 
in  his  senior  year  in  the  college,  and  retained  the  princi- 
palship until  the  spring  term  of  1861.  This  was  a  period 
of  prosperity.  Mr.  Hamblen  possessed  qualities  of  head 
and  heart  that  admirably  qualified  him  for  the  position. 
The  students  loved  him.  The  average  attendance  during 
his  principalship  was  218,  and  49  students  were  prepared 
by  him  for  college  ;  but  Mr.  Hamblen's  health  became 
impaired  by  his  untiring  labors,  and  he  was  at  length  com- 
pelled to  resign,  greatly  to  the  regret  of  Dr.  Champlin  and 
others  interested  in  the  welfare  of  the  academy. 

Several  graduates  of  the  college,  Ransom  Norton,  Ran- 
dall E.  Jones,  John  W.  Lamb  and  Augustus  D.  Small,  car- 
ried the  academy  through  the  eventful  years  of  the  Civil 
War.  But  with  the  return  of  peace,  and  inspired  by 
the  new  conditions  at  the  college  because  of  its  increased 
financial  resources,  Dr.  Champlin  turned  his  attention 
anew  to  the  academy,  which  in  its  prosperous  days  had 
furnished  so  many  students  for  the  college.  Mr.  Hanson 
had  removed  from  Eastport  to  Portland,  where  he  became 
principal  of  the  High  School.  For  two  years  he  had  been 
at  the  head  of  a  private  school  for  boys.  Very  naturally 
Dr.  Champlin  attempted  to  secure  Mr.  Hanson's  services 


430  HISTORY  OP  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

as  principal  of  the  academy,  and  in  this  he  was  success- 
ful. Mr.  Hanson  returned  to  Waterville,  bringing  "with 
him  all  the  prestige  of  his  former  success  as  principal  of 
the  academy,  all  his  old  energy,  fidelity  and  almost  unpar- 
alelled  power  of  endurance,  together  with  still  greater 
accumulations  of  learning  and  experience  and  a  new  and 
wider  fame  as  the  author  of  most  valuable  and  extensively 
used  commentaries  of  the  Latin  text-books  of  the  college 
preparatory  course."  ^ 

The  real  estate  of  the  academy  was  held  by  the  college. 
The  surviving  trustees  of  the  academy  now  made  over 
their  trusts  to  the  college,  and  the  Waterville  Acad- 
emy became  the  Waterville  Classical  Institute.  Students 
in  increasing  numbers  entered  the  institute.  The  attend- 
ance in  1865-6  was  272,  the  largest  number  connected  with 
the  school  in  any  year  in  its  history  thus  far,  except  in 
1852-3,  when  the  number  was  308.  In  1869,  the  young 
ladies'  collegiate  department  was  added,  and  an  act  of 
the  Legislature  was  obtained  authorizing  the  institute  to 
'  'prescribe  a  course  of  study  for  young  ladies  equivalent 
to  that  of  any  female  college  in  New  England,"  and  to 
"confer  upon  all  who  shall  satisfactorily  complete  such 
course  the  collegiate  honors  and  degrees  that  are  gen- 
erally granted  by  female  colleges."  In  accordance  with 
this  authorization  a  three  years'  course  of  study  was 
arranged,  which  was  extended  in  the  following  year  to 
four  years,  and  upon  those  who  completed  the  course  the 
degree  of  Baccalaureate  of  Letters  was  conferred. 

From  year  to  "year  the  number  of  students  in  the  college 
preparatory  classes  increased.  But  the  building  in  which 
the  work  of  the  institute  was  performed  was  wholly  inad- 
equate for  the  uses  of  the  enlarged  body  of  students. 
There  was  need  also  of  an  endowment  in  order  to  meet 
the  increasing  expenses  of  the  institute.  The  endow- 
ment came  with  ex-Governor  Coburn's  munificent  gift  of 
$50,000,  and  a  suitable  building  was  erected  in  1883  by 
the  same  generous  giver,  in  memory  of  Stephen  Coburn 

'  Rev.  Georgre  B.  Grow,  D.  D.,  semi-centennial  address. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  431 

and  Charles  M.  Coburn,  the  donor's  brother  and  nephew. 
In  1888,  the  name  of  the  Waterville  Classical  Institute  was 
changed  to  the  Coburn  Classical  Institute,  in  recognition 
of  these  large  benefactions. 

Though  Dr.  Hanson's  burdens  were  somewhat  lightened 
in  the  new  order  of  things  at  the  institute,  he  still  carried 
heavy  burdens,  "working  more  hours  than  most  younger 
men  would  have  found  possible,  meeting  his  classes  in  his 
own  study  when  too  weak  to  meet  them  in  the  class  room, 
and  in  his  chamber  when  too  weak  for  that.  He  wanted 
to  die  in  the  harness."^  And  he  did.  Only  three  days 
separated  his  school  work  and  the  close  of  his  life  here. 
He  died  April  24,  1894,  aged  seventy-seven  years. 

Mr.  Franklin  W.  Johnson,  a  graduate  of  Colby,  class  of 
1891,  was  made  Dr.  Hanson's  successor,  and  under  his 
efficient  management  the  institute  has  continued  in  its 
career  of  enlarged  usefulness.  In  1896,  in  consequence 
of  the  success  of  the  opening  of  the  college  to  women, 
the  ladies'  collegiate  department  was  discontinued.  Until 
1901  the  institute  remained  under  the  control  of  the  trus- 
tees of  the  college,  but  in  1901,  by  an  act  of  the  Legisla- 
ture, the  affairs  of  the  institute  were  placed  under  the 
care  of  a  separate  board. 

The  seventy-fifth  anniversary  of  the  institute  was  fit- 
tingly celebrated  June  24,  1904.  An  oration  was  delivered 
by  Leslie  C.  Cornish,  Esq.,  class  of  1871.  This  was  fol- 
lowed with  a  poem  by  Miss  Louise  H.  Coburn,  class  of 
1873 ;  historical  reminiscences  by  Dr.  William  Mathews, 
class  of  1831,  and  a  history  of  the  institute  by  Edwin  C. 
Whittemore,  D.  D.,  class  of  1875. 

RICKER  CLASSICAL  INSTITUTE. 

Ricker  Classical  Institute  was  incorporated  as  Houl- 
ton  Academy  in  1847.  July  30,  1847,  the  Legislature  of 
Maine  conveyed  to  the  trustees  of  the  academy  one-half 
township  of  land  (14,  Range  3),  on  condition  that  a  suit- 
able building  should  be  erected  and  a  school  established 

'  President  B.  L.  Whitman  in  an  address  at  Dr.  Hanson's  funeral. 


432  HISTORY  OP  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

before  October,  1849.  Land  was  purchased  and  a  build- 
ing erected  in  1848,  and  the  school  was  opened  in  the  fall 
of  the  same  year,  with  Mr.  Milton  Welch  as  principal. 
The  second  story  of  the  school  building  was  used  as  a 
court  room  until  the  present  court  house  was  built.  In 
August,  1868,  steps  were  taken  with  reference  to  the  erec- 
tion of  a  building  better  adapted  to  the  growing  needs  of 
the  school,  and  this  new  building  was  completed  in  1870, 
at  a  cost  of  about  $6,500.  A  course  of  study  for  three 
years  was  then  established. 

In  the  prosecution  of  his  work  as  secretary  of  the  Maine 
Baptist  Missionary  Convention,  Rev.  Joseph  Ricker,  D.  D., 
visited  Houlton  for  the  first  time  in  March,  1872.  On  the 
day  he  left  Bangor  a  severe  snow  storm  set  in,  and  by 
the  time  the  train  reached  Danforth,  eighty-nine  miles 
from  Bangor,  the  road  was  blocked  and  it  was  impossible 
to  proceed  further.  At  Danforth  he  met  Judge  Dicker- 
son  of  Belfast,  who  was  returning  from  a  session  of  the 
Supreme  Court  in  Houlton,  and,  like  Dr.  Ricker,  was 
unable  to  proceed  on  his  journey  on  account  of  the  storm. 
Judge  Dickerson  was  an  old  college  friend  of  Dr.  Ricker, 
and  in  their  conversation  while  thus  detained  Judge  Dick- 
erson referred  to  Houlton  Academy,  which  was  without 
endowment  and  poorly  equipped  for  its  work,  and  sug- 
gested that  it  might  be  made  one  of  Colby's  preparatory 
schools.  Judge  Dickerson  said  that  while  in  Houlton  he 
talked  concerning  the  matter  with  Rev.  Charles  G.  Porter, 
pastor  of  the  Baptist  church,  and  Mr.  Porter  had  assured 
him  that  the  trustees  of  the  academy  would  transfer  its 
property  to  Colby  University  if  the  Baptists  of  Maine 
would  give  it  an  endowment  of  $25,000. 

After  his  arrival  in  Houlton,  Dr.  Ricker  called  upon  J. 
C.  Madigan,  Esq.,  president  of  the  board  of  trustees  of 
Houlton  Academy,  and  the  matter  was  still  further  con- 
sidered. Terms  of  agreement  in  reference  to  the  trans- 
fer were  drawn  up,  and  a  memorandum  made  of  various 
points  that  became  a  basis  of  subsequent  negotiations. 
Dr.  Ricker  later  presented  the  matter  to  the  trustees  of 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  433 

Colby,  and  having  impressed  his  colleagues  on  the  board 
with  the  desirability  of  making  Houlton  Academy  one 
of  the  preparatory  schools  of  the  college,  he  secured  the 
appointment  of  a  committee  to  proceed  to  Houlton  for 
further  negotiations.  These  at  length  were  brought  to  a 
successful  termination,  and  Houlton  Academy  came  under 
the  control  of  the  Baptists  of  Maine. 

From  1875  to  1885  the  academy  had  been  under  the 
intelligent  supervision  of  Mr.  W.  S.  Knowlton.  In  this 
time  the  academy  building  was  repaired,  and  there  was  a 
growing  interest  in  the  institution.  In  the  autumn  of 
1885,  Mr.  A.  M.  Thomas  became  principal.  Under  his 
leadership  the  institute  rapidly  took  its  place  as  the  lead- 
ing educational  force  in  Aroostook  County. 

Dr.  Ricker's  interest  in  Houlton  Academy  did  not  end 
with  the  transfer  of  the  property.  He  saw  the  possibili- 
ties of  the  academy  as  an  educational  influence  in  the 
northeastern  part  of  the  State.  To  devise  large  things 
for  it,  with  these  possibilities  in  view,  was  with  him  a 
pressing  duty.  He  gave  five  thousand  dollars  toward  its 
endowment.  He  also  contributed  liberally  for  the  pur- 
chase of  land  adjacent  to  the  academy  lot,  and  needed  for 
its  purposes.  Such  deep,  abiding  interest  in  the  institu- 
tion was  deemed  worthy  of  recognition  by  the  trustees  of 
Colby,  and  in  1887  they  asked  the  Legislature  of  the  State 
to  change  the  name  of  Houlton  Academy  to  Ricker  Classi- 
cal Institute.     This  was  done  in  January,  1888. 

Dr.  Ricker  interested  others  also  in  the  academy,  among 
them  Mrs.  Catherine  L.  Wording  of  Grand  Forks,  North 
Dakota,  and  Mrs.  Wording  gave  to  the  trustees  of  the 
college  $30,000,  to  be  expended  in  the  erection  of  a 
new  academy  building.  This  building,  known  as  Word- 
ing Hall,'  was  completed  in  the  summer  of  1888.  In  order 
to  furnish  a  site  for  the  new  edifice  the  former  academy 
building  was  removed. 

'  The  buildins;  Mrs.  Wording  made  a  memorial  of  her  late  husband,  Hon.  W.  E.  Wortl- 
iner,  who  died  in  Fargo,  No.  Dakota,  Jan.  22,  1886.  He  was  a  native  of  Castine,  Me.,  and 
was  graduated  at  Waterville  College  in  18.V>.     For  awliile  he  was  engaged  in  teaching, 

29 


434  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

Mrs.  Wording  was  present  at  the  dedication  of  the 
building,  which  occurred  on  June  28,  1888.  Mr.  Moses 
Giddings  of  Bangor,  chairman  of  the  building  committee, 
presented  the  keys  of  the  building  to  the  principal  of 
the  institute,  Mr.  A.  M.  Thomas,  who  became  principal 
of  the  academy  in  1885.  The  dedicatory  address  was 
delivered  by  President  Pepper  of  Colby  University,  who 
considered  *  'The  Aim  of  our  Educational  System  and  the 
Place  of  the  Academy  in  the  Accomplishment  of  this 
Aim." 

In  1868  the  Legislature  of  Maine  appropriated  $2,000  in 
aid  of  Houlton  Academy,  and  the  money  was  deposited 
with  the  State  treasurer  as  a  trust  fund.  Since  that  time 
the  academy  has  received  from  the  treasurer  $120  annu- 
ally as  the  income  of  this  fund. 

Principal  Thomas  resigned  his  position  as  the  head  of 
the  institute  in  1901.  Under  his  leadership  the  school  had 
greatly  prospered,  and  his  resignation  was  the  occasion  of 
great  regret  on  the  part  of  the  students  and  friends  of 
the  institute.  He  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  J.  0.  Wellman, 
Colby,  class  of  1898.  Under  his  direction  the  institute  has 
continued  to  prosper,  and  is  exerting  a  strong  educational 
influence  throughout  Aroostook  County. 

HIGGINS  CLASSICAL  INSTITUTE. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Penobscot  Association  held  in 
Etna,  Sept.  9  and  10,  1835,  this  resolution  was  adopted : 
"That  an  academy  of  a  high  character  ought  to  be  estab- 
lished in  this  county  under  the  patronage  of  this  associa- 
tion, and  that  a  committee  be  appointed  for  that  purpose." 
The  appointment  of  a  committee  was  made,  and  the  com- 
mittee was  requested  to  report  to  the  association  at  its 
next  annual  meeting.     Several  meetings  were  held  by  this 

then  he  studied  law  and  went  west.  For  successive  terms  he  was  jud^e  of  probate  for 
the  county  of  Racine,  Wis.  During  the  Civil  War  he  was  made  United  States  Tax  Com- 
missioner in  South  Carolina.  He  never  forgot  the  struggles  through  which  he  passed 
in  obtaining  an  education,  especially  in  his  preparatory  course,  and  it  was  on  this 
account,  doubtless,  that  Mrs.  Wording  was  largely  influenced  in  the  erection  of  this 
memorial  of  her  husband. 


MRS.    CATHERINE   L.    WORDING. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  435 

committee,  the  first  at  Levant,  March  11,  1836,  at  which  it 
was  decided  to  send  a  circular  letter  to  the  several  towns 
within  the  limits  of  the  association,  making  such  inqui- 
ries as  the  price  and  facilities  for  student  board,  cost  of 
building  materials,  and  the  amount  of  aid  which  might 
be  afforded  to  the  academy.  After  the  answers  to  these 
inquiries  were  received,  other  meetings  were  held,  and 
June  21,  1836,  after  much  deliberation  with  reference  to 
these  replies,  it  was  decided  to  locate  the  academy  in 
Charleston,  "near  the  Baptist  meeting-house."  Mr.  N.  G. 
Norcross  of  Bangor  offered  a  site  for  the  proposed  acad- 
emy, and  with  friends  of  the  enterprise  in  Charleston 
added  a  subscription  of  $3,500.  The  erection  of  an  acad- 
emy building,  48  feet  by  34,  and  two  stories  in  height,  was 
commenced,  with  the  expectation  that  it  would  be  com- 
pleted by  May,  1837.  At  the  meeting  of  the  Penobscot 
Association  in  Dexter,  Sept.  13,  14  and  15,  1836,  a  board 
of  trustees  was  appointed,  consisting  of  one  member  from 
each  church  in  the  association,  and  Rev.  0.  Briggs  was 
appointed  an  agent  to  solicit  financial  aid.  An  act  of 
incorporation  was  secured.  At  the  meeting  of  the  asso- 
ciation in  Hampden,  Sept.  20  and  21,  1837,  the  trustees 
reported  the  completion  of  the  academy  building.  A  debt 
of  about  $1,000  had  been  contracted  in  its  erection,  and 
this  proved  a  troublesome  burden  by  reason  of  the  general 
financial  depression  in  the  country  at  that  time.  "You 
have  promised  a  school  of  high  order,"  said  the  trustees 
in  their  report  to  the  association  in  1837,  '  'and  to  do  this  a 
personal  interest  should  be  felt  by  every  member  of  the 
churches  in  the  association ;  it  should  be  relieved  from  all 
pecuniary  embarrassment  at  once.  An  ample  and  well- 
selected  school  apparatus  is  now  wanted,  is  indispensable, 
and  it  is  hoped  that  means  will  be  provided  to  obtain  it 
without  delay." 

At  that  time  the  movement  with  reference  to  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  Baptist  Theological  Institution  in  Maine  was 
in  progress,  and  the  following  resolution  was  adopted  : 
"That  should  the  Maine  Baptist  Theological  Association 


436  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

be  disposed  to  make  Charleston  the  place  of  location  for 
their  theological  school,  we  would,  with  the  assent  of  the 
Penobscot  Association,  surrender  to  their  use  and  pur- 
pose our  charter  and  rights  under  it,  upon  condition  that 
an  academy  school  of  a  high  order  shall  be  sustained, 
not  sectarian  in  the  instruction,  but  open  to  all  classes 
and  denominations  on  like  terms  and  conditions ;  provided 
also  it  can  be  done  consistently  with  our  charter.'*  It 
appears  that  this  invitation  was  accepted,  and  the  theo- 
logical school  for  a  short  time  was  in  session  at  Charles- 
ton, but  the  school  was  soon  transferred  to  Thomaston 
for  reasons  regarded  as  forceful  by  all  the  friends  of  the 
enterprise.^ 

The  academy  at  Charleston  was  opened  in  the  fall  of 
1837,  with  about  seventy-five  scholars  and  Samuel  Silsbee 
as  principal.  He  was  followed  a  year  later  by  Elisha  M. 
Thurston,  a  graduate  of  Waterville  College,  class  of  1838. 
Mr.  Thurston  served  the  academy  as  principal  six  years, 
and  with  entire  satisfaction  to  the  friends  of  the  academy. 
Students  came  in  gratifying  numbers  from  the  surround- 
ing country,  and  even  from  a  distance.  Among  the  teach- 
ers who  followed  Mr.  Thurston  were  the  late  Hon.  A.  H. 
Briggs  of  Boston,  Samuel  L.  Caldwell,  afterward  president 
of  Vassar  College,  and  Prof.  Calvin  Bickford. 

But  a  debt,  which,  though  not  large,  was  exceedingly 
burdensome  and  troublesome,  hung  over  the  institution. 
Apparently  it  only  lacked  relief  from  this  burden  and  ade- 
quate financial  resources  in  order  to  meet  the  high  expec- 

'  Rev.  T.  B.  Robinson,  in  a  discourse  delivered  at  the  semi-centennial  of  Penobscot 
Association,  at  Charleston,  Sept.  5,  1876,  referred  to  a  resolution  adopted  by  the  associa- 
tion in  1838,  in  which  reference  was  made  to  "the  encouraging  prospects  of  the  Theolog- 
ical Institution,  now  commenced  in  this  State,"  and  adds  :  "It  had  been  in  operation,  in 
connection  with  the  academy,  under  the  leadership  of  Prof.  Calvin  Newton,  late  of 
Waterville  College.  But  its  trustees  had  decided  to  locate  it  permanently  at  Thomaston, 
as  that  was  easier  of  access,  and  surrounded  by  wealthy  churches,  and  it  was  removed 
there  late  that  fall."  In  the  Minutes  for  1838,  Rev.  C.  Newton  is  reported  as  connected 
with  the  church  in  Charleston,  and  in  the  abstract  of  the  Charleston  letter  to  the  asso- 
ciation we  have  the  statement,  "Destitute  of  a  pastor,  but  are  seeking  one— have  been 
supplied  from  the  Theological  Institution."  It  should  be  added,  also,  that  Rev.  T.  B.  Rob- 
inson was  at  the  time  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Levant,  and  was  present  at  the 
meeting  of  the  association  in  1838. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  437 

tation  of  its  founders.  But  the  money  did  not  come,  the 
institution  languished,  and  at  length  it  lost  its  influence 
and  ceased  to  exist. 

Rev.  John  H.  Higgins  in  his  boyhood  was  a  student  in 
the  academy.  After  a  successful  business  career  in  New 
York  he  returned  to  Maine  in  1874,  and  made  for  himself 
a  home  in  Charleston.  During  his  residence  in  New  York 
he  was  converted,  and  on  his  return  to  Maine  he  brought 
with  him  an  earnest  purpose  to  be  helpful  to  the  religious 
interest  of  the  community  and  of  the  surrounding  towns. 
He  possessed  in  a  marked  degree  an  evangelistic  spirit 
and  loved  to  preach  the  gospel  of  the  grace  of  God  in 
Jesus  Christ.  Recalling  his  own  school  life  at  Charleston, 
he  was  impressed  with  the  importance  of  reviving  the 
academy  and  of  bringing  to  it  the  bright  boys  and  girls 
of  Piscataquis  and  Penobscot  Counties.  He  accordingly 
bought  the  academy  property,  and  for  quite  a  number  of 
years  he  maintained  a  school  in  the  old  academy  building, 
under  the  instruction  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  Rideout, 
who  opened  the  academy  in  1881  with  sixteen  pupils. 
Mr.  Rideout  was  a  popular  teacher,  and  Mrs.  Rideout,  a 
graduate  of  the  Farmington  Normal  School,  had  been 
preceptress  of  the  Maine  Central  Institute  and  head  of  its 
normal  department.  By  their  united  efforts  the  work  of 
the  academy  was  brought  to  such  a  degree  of  efficiency  as 
to  receive  merited  patronage.  In  1888  and  1889  Mr.  Hig- 
gins made  known  to  the  trustees  of  Colby  University  his 
desire  that  the  academy  might  become  one  of  Colby's  pre- 
paratory schools,  and  in  1890  he  made  an  offer  to  convey 
to  the  college  the  old  academy  building  and  the  land  on 
which  it  stood,  and  to  place  in  the  hands  of  the  treasurer 
of  the  college  as  an  endowment  of  the  academy  $25,000, 
provided  that  within  ten  years  thereafter  the  college 
would  secure  from  outside  sources  an  equal  amount  for 
the  construction  of  a  suitable  academy  building,  and  of 
this  amount  Mr.  Higgins  offered  to  give  $5,000.  At  the 
same  time  Mr.  H.  H.  Norcross  of  Somerville,  Mass.,  a 
native  of  Charleston,  and  deeply  interested  in  the  welfare 


438  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

of  the  town  and  the  academy,  offered  to  deed  to  the  col- 
lege a  half  dozen  acres  of  land  regarded  as  a  better  loca- 
tion for  the  academy.  The  college  accepted  Mr.  Higgins, 
generous  offer/  also  that  of  Mr.  Norcross,  and  made  an 
appropriation  of  $1,000  to  be  used  in  removing  and  repair- 
ing the  old  academy  building.  The  name  Higgins  Classi- 
cal Institute  was  given  to  the  institution  in  recognition  of 
Mr.  Higgins'  generous  gift. 

A  charter  for  the  institution  was  obtained  from  the 
Legislature  in  1891.  In  August  of  that  year,  Hon.  Perci- 
val  Bonney  and  Mr.  Arad  Thompson,  a  committee  of  the 
board  of  trustees  of  Colby  University,  visited  Charleston. 
''A  glance  at  the  real  estate  proposed  to  be  conveyed  to 
the  college,"  writes  Judge  Bonney,  "convinced  us  at  once 
that  neither  the  lot  upon  which  the  academy  building  then 
stood,  nor  the  Norcross  lot,  was  suitable  for  the  location 
of  school  buildings.  Upon  examining  the  adjacent  lands, 
we  advised  Mr.  Higgins  to  purchase  what  was  known  as 
the  Tibbetts  farm,  which  adjoined  the  lot  upon  which  the 
academy  then  stood,  and  was  directly  across  the  street 
from  the  Norcross  lot." 

This  was  done  at  a  cost  of  $3,000,  which  sum  was 
deducted  from  the  $25,000  which  Mr.  Higgins  had  pro- 
posed to  deposit  with  the  treasurer  of  the  college  as  an 
endowment  of  the  institute.  The  old  academy  building 
was  at  once  removed  to  its  new  location,  and  put  in  con- 
dition for  use. 

The  institute  was  opened  in  the  spring  of  1891,  under 
the  principalship  of  Mr,  C.  C.  Richardson,  Colby,  1887. 
Associated  with  him  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rideout,  who  for 
ten  years  had  stood  at  the  head  of  Charleston  Academy, 
preparing  the  way  for  the  new  order  of  things  now  insti- 
tuted. Dr.  Dunn  visited  Charleston  soon  after  the  close 
of  the  first  term  of  the  Higgins  Classical  Institute  in  May, 
1891,  and  wrote  :  "Its  location  is  unsurpassed.  It  stands 
at  the  brow  of  a  hill,  overlooking  a  wide  extent  of  most 

'The  $25,000  was  given  by  Rev.  J.  H.  Higgins,  Fanny  E.  Perley  Higgins,  Emma  L. 
Perley  Higgins,   Mr.  A.  H.  Higgins  and  H.  H.  Norcross. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  439 

beautiful  country.  Standing  at  the  front  entrance,  look- 
ing toward  the  south,  one  can  see  the  fertile  farms  of  sev- 
eral townships,  and  in  the  distance  can  be  seen  plainly  the 
blue  hills  of  Hancock  County,  while  yet  farther  on  may 
be  descried  the  mountains  of  Mt.  Desert.  No  grander 
outlook  can  be  found  from  any  point  in  this  grand  old 
State." 

Soon  after  the  institution  was  opened,  Mr.  H.  L.  Tib- 
betts  of  Lowell,  Mass.,  a  native  of  Charleston,  gave  the 
institute  $1,700  for  library  purposes.  Of  this  amount  $700 
was  expended  in  the  purchase  of  books,  and  the  remain- 
ing $1,000  was  held  as  a  fund,  the  income  to  be  used  for 
the  support  of  the  library.  Later  Mr.  D.  S.  Humphrey  of 
Charleston,  treasurer  of  the  institute,  contributed  $200  to 
establish  a  fund,  the  income  of  which  should  be  devoted 
to  prizes  for  excellence  in  public  reading  and  speaking. 

In  1896,  Mr.  Richardson  was  succeeded  in  the  princi- 
palship  by  Mr.  H.  W.  Foss,  and  with  him  came  an  entire 
new  corps  of  instructors.  The  number  of  students  con- 
tinued to  increase.  In  1902-3  new  buildings  were  erected 
for  the  institute.  The  principal  building  is  of  brick,  and 
is  a  handsome,  well-arranged  structure,  in  every  way 
adapted  to  its  use.  It  contains  a  chapel,  convenient  and 
well-equipped  class  rooms,  society  rooms,  chemical  labo- 
ratories and  a  library  room.  The  basement  is  devoted  to 
a  model  school.  The  new  dormitory  is  for  both  sexes, 
and  is  provided  with  the  various  modern  conveniences, 
having  bath  rooms,  liberally  supplied  with  hot  and  cold 
water,  is  heated  by  steam  and  lighted  with  acetylene  gas 
throughout.  The  kitchen  and  laundries  are  provided  with 
the  latest  labor-saving  devices.  The  expense  of  erecting 
these  buildings  was  borne  for  the  most  part  by  Rev.  J.  H. 
Higgins  and  his  brother,  Mr.  Hamilton  Higgins  of  New 
York. 

The  institute,  in  its  new  home,  was  opened  in  Septem- 
ber, 1903,  with  an  enrollment  of  students  about  double 
that  of  the  first  year  of  its  affiliation  with  Colby  College. 
Mr.  Foss,  who  had  so  successfully  conducted  the  affairs 


440  HISTORY  OF  THE   BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

of  the  institute  hitherto,  had  retired  at  the  close  of  the 
preceding  term,  and  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  A.  M.  Thomas, 
so  long  connected  with  the  Ricker  Classical  Institute  at 
Houlton. 

As  yet  the  trustees  of  Colby  have  not  deemed  it  wise 
to  attempt  to  meet  the  conditions  which  were  accepted 
when  the  institute  became  affiliated  with  the  college. 
Other  financial  obligations  seemed  to  require  attention 
first.  It  is  to  be  hoped,  however,  that  the  favorable 
opportunity  for  securing  the  needed  funds  will  appear  at 
an  early  day. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 


The  Churches  from  the  Close  of  the  Civil  War. 

With  the  close  of  the  Civil  War  the  Baptist  churches  in 
Maine  entered  upon  a  new  period  of  activity  and  develop- 
ment. The  reports  for  1866  showed  that  the  number  of 
baptisms  for  the  year  following  the  close  of  the  war  (704) 
was  the  largest  of  any  year  following  the  great  revival  of 
1858,  but  this  number  was  not  again  reached  until  1874, 
when  774  baptisms  were  reported.  The  membership  of 
the  churches  in  1866  was  19,870.  This  was  the  year 
of  the  great  fire  in  Portland,  which  occurred  on  July  4th. 
In  that  disastrous  conflagration  the  First  Baptist  church 
lost  its  house  of  worship,  the  homes  of  more  than  ninety 
families  connected  with  the  church  and  congregation  were 
destroyed,  and  some  of  the  members  were  obliged  to  seek 
homes  elsewhere.  Under  the  leadership  of  the  pastor. 
Rev.  W.  H.  Shailer,  D.  D.,  the  church,  liberally  aided  by 
other  churches  in  and  without  the  State,  entered  upon  the 
erection  of  a  new  house  of  worship.  The  fellowship  of 
the  churches  at  the  time  of  this  loss  is  illustrated  in  the 
action  taken  Sept.  6,  1866,  by  the  Saco  River  Association. 
"Resolved,  That  in  view  of  the  very  serious  loss  sustained 
by  the  First  Baptist  church  in  Portland  by  the  late  deso- 
lating fire,  in  which  their  pastor  very  largely  shares,  we 
tender  them  our  most  hearty  sympathy,  and  recommend 
that  all  our  churches  be  requested  to  take  up  a  collec- 
tion as  soon  as  convenient,  to  aid  the  church  in  erecting 
for  themselves  another  house  of  worship,  and  that  it  be 
sent  forthwith  to  Dr.  Shailer,  chairman  of  the  committee 
for  raising  funds. 

At  Augusta,  another  important  point  in  the  State.  Dr. 
Ricker  was  endeavoring  to  place  the  church  on  a  solid 


442  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

foundation.  For  various  reasons  the  Baptist  cause  at  the 
capital  had  languished,  and  there  was  need  of  wise,  vigor- 
ous leadership.  This  was  found  in  Dr.  Ricker,  whose 
efforts,  both  in  Augusta  and  elsewhere,  resulted  in  the 
rebuilding  of  the  church's  house  of  worship.  At  Houlton 
a  Baptist  church  had  been  organized  in  1863,  and  Jan.  31, 
1867,  a  house  of  worship  was  dedicated.  Rev.  C.  G. 
Porter  was  now  on  this  field  doing  missionary  service,  and 
laying  the  foundations  of  a  strong,  prosperous  church. 

The  church  in  Lewiston,  which  was  organized  in  1847, 
but  which  now  had  a  membership  exceeded  only  by  that 
of  either  of  the  churches  in  Portland,  also  felt  the  inspira- 
tion of  the  era  of  business  prosperity  that  followed  the 
Civil  War  and  entered  upon  the  erection  of  a  new  house 
of  worship,  which  was  dedicated  May  17,  1870.  The 
churches  in  Camden  and  Belfast  were  also  of  the  number 
which,  between  1865  and  1870,  rebuilt  their  houses  of 
worship. 

January  16,  1871,  Rev.  Adam  Wilson,  D.  D.,  died  at  his 
home  in  Waterville,  aged  seventy-seven  years.  For  a  long 
time  he  had  been  at  the  front  in  the  general  interests  of 
the  Baptists  of  Maine.  He  was  the  founder  of  the  State 
denominational  paper  ;  he  had  served  in  the  pastorate  in 
Bangor,  and  other  places ;  he  had  been  active  in  the  State 
missionary  work  of  the  denomination  throughout  his  min- 
istry ;  and  in  the  discharge  of  his  many  public  services  he 
had  had  the  confidence  of  his  brethren  in  the  largest  pos- 
sible degree.  He  closed  his  long  and  useful  life  honored 
and  beloved  as  a  faithful  man  of  God. 

At  the  semi-centennial  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Mission- 
ary Convention,  held  at  East  Winthrop  June  16,  17  and 
18,  1874,  Rev.  F.  T.  Hazlewood  of  Bangor  suggested  the 
organization  of  a  society  for  the  aid  of  aged  and  needy 
clergymen  of  the  Baptist  denomination  in  Maine,  and 
also  of  the  widows  and  orphans  of  deceased  Baptist 
ministers,  and  the  following  resolution  which  he  offered 
was  adopted:  "Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  three  be 
appointed  by  the  chair  to  report  upon  the  subject  in  full 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  443 

at  the  next  meeting  of  the  Convention,  with  power  to  ask 
of  the  Legislature  a  charter  for  such  a  society."  Such  a 
committee  was  appointed,  consisting  of  George  F.  Emery 
of  Portland,  E.  Rowell  of  Hallowell,  and  Rev.  A.  V.  Tilton 
of  Augusta.  In  1876,  at  the  next  meeting  of  the  Con- 
vention, this  committee  reported  progress.  Rev.  W.  H. 
Shailer,  D.  D.,  of  Portland,  was  added  to  the  committee, 
and  the  committee  was  continued.  At  the  meeting  of 
the  Convention,  in  1876,  Dr.  Shailer,  for  this  committee, 
reported  the  organization  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Charitable 
Society,  and  it  was  voted  that  money  which  the  Conven- 
tion held  in  trust  for  the  aid  of  needy  Baptist  ministers 
and  the  widows  of  such  ministers  be  transferred  to  the 
treasurer  of  the  Charitable  Society.  This  money  came  to 
the  Convention  from  a  bequest  by  the  late  Byron  Green- 
ough  of  Portland.     The  Society  was  incorporated  May  8, 

1876,  and  held  its  first  annual  meeting  in  Hallowell,  June 
21,  1876,  in  connection  with  other  Maine  Baptist  organiza- 
tions. Rev.  J.  T.  Champlin,  D.  D.,  was  elected  president ; 
Hon.  P.  Bonney,  vice  president ;  Rev.  H.  S.  Burrage,  sec- 
retary ;  Dea.  J.  C.  Phenix,  treasurer,  and  Rev.  W.  H. 
Shailer,  D.  D.,  Rev.  J.  McWhinnie  and  George  F.  Emery, 
Esq.,  executive  committee.  The  Cumberland  Association, 
at  its  meeting  in  Lisbon  Falls,  Aug.  30,  1876,  voted  to 
transfer  its  indigent  ministers'  fund  of  $626.50  to  the 
Charitable  Society,  also  the  Kennebec  Association  made 
a  like  transfer  of  its  fund  of  $66.17,  and  the  Charitable 
Society,  at  its  annual  meeting  in  1877,  after  making  appro- 
priations to  the  amount  of  $55,  reported  funds  in  Jiand  to 
the  amount  of  $1,446.77.     The  Hancock  Association,  in 

1877,  transferred  its  widows'  fund,  amounting  to  $90,  to 
the  Charitable  Society.  Thus  organized  and  furnished 
with  the  beginnings  of  a  fund  the  Maine  Baptist  Chari- 
table Society  entered  upon  its  beneficent  work.  Its  funds 
in  October,  1903,  amounted  to  $4,275.06,  and  each  year 
since  its  organization  the  Society  has  rendered  a  much 
needed  service ;  but  the  suggestion  has  been  made  that 
those  whom  the  Society  seeks  to  aid  could  be  reached 


444  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

much  more  readily  through  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary 
Convention,  and  that  by  means  of  the  Convention  a  deeper 
interest  in  the  objects  of  the  Society  would  be  secured. 

The  semi-centennial  of  the  Penobscot  Association,  at 
Charleston,  Sept.  5,  1876,  the  centennial  year  of  the 
nation's  history,  afforded  an  opportunity  for  a  review  of 
the  work  which  had  been  accomplished  in  connection  with 
the  association  during  the  preceding  half  century.  Rev. 
T.  B.  Robinson,  who  had  been  pastor  at  Kenduskeag  about 
thirty  years,  commencing  his  work  there  in  1835,  deliv- 
ered the  historical  discourse.  He  was  the  only  person 
living  who  as  a  minister  was  present  at  the  organization 
of  the  association.  Dea.  J.  C.  White  of  Bangor,  treasurer 
of  the  association,  presented  a  statement  concerning  the 
benevolent  contributions  of  the  churches  in  the  associa- 
tion. For  the  first  eighteen  years  there  was  contributed 
to  foreign  missions  through  Levi  Morrill,  treasurer  for 
sixteen  years,  and  Dea.  John  Hunting,  treasurer  for  two 
years,  $2,410.86.  Deacon  White  became  treasurer  in  1844, 
and  endeavored  to  have  all  the  benevolent  funds  of  the 
churches  in  the  association  pass  through  his  hands.  Dur- 
ing the  thirty-two  years  from  1844  he  had  received  for  the 
American  Baptist  Missionary  Union  $20,141.13,  making  a 
total  of  $22,551.99  for  foreign  missions  during  the  fifty 
years.  During  the  preceding  twenty-one  years  he  had 
received  for  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Convention 
$18,977.54;  during  twelve  years  for  Bible  distribution 
upwards  of  $1,300;  during  twelve  years  for  home  mis- 
sions, upwards  of  $1,190.73 ;  and  for  ministerial  education 
$1,750,  making,  with  $7,500  which  he  believed  had  passed 
through  other  hands,  an  aggregate  of  upwards  of  $50,000. 

The  Kennebec  Association  came  to  its  semi-centennial  in 
1879.  The  session  was  held  with  the  Baptist  church  at 
Norridgewock,  Sept.  2,  1879.  An  historical  discourse  was 
delivered  by  Rev.  W.  H.  Shailer,  D.  D.,  of  Portland.  This 
was  one  of  the  last  of  the  public  services  performed  by 
Dr.  Shailer,  who  had  closed  his  pastorate  of  the  First 
Baptist  church  in  Portland  in  August,  1877.     He  came  to 


WILLIAM    H.    SHAILKK,    I).    I). 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  445 

Portland  in  March,  1854.  At  once  he  identified  himself 
with  the  various  denominational  interests  in  the  city  and 
State.  He  was  editor  and  publisher  of  Zion's  Advocate 
about  sixteen  years.  For  twenty-seven  years  he  never 
failed  to  attend  the  meetings  of  the  State  Convention,  and 
for  several  years  he  was  its  president.  For  twenty-five 
years  he  was  a  trustee  of  Colby  College.  In  all  matters 
pertaining  to  the  denomination  his  judgment  was  sought, 
and  there  was  no  movement,  religious  or  educational,  in 
which  the  Baptists  of  Maine  were  interested  during  his 
residence  in  the  State  in  which  he  did  not  have  a  con- 
spicuous part.  He  was  often  called  upon  for  service  on 
public  occasions,  and  always  performed  the  task  to  which 
he  was  assigned  with  ability  and  dignity.  He  died  in 
Portland,  Feb.  23,  1881,  and  in  October  following,  at  the 
annual  meeting  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Con- 
vention at  Skowhegan,  his  friend,  Rev.  A.  K.  Potter, 
D.  D.,  of  Springfield,  Mass.,  paid  a  fitting  tribute  to  his 
memory. 

Another  Maine  pastor,  Rev.  R.  C.  Spaulding,  who  had 
served  the  denomination  in  the  State  even  through  a 
longer  period  than  Dr.  Shailer,  died  in  Houlton,  Sept.  1, 
1880.  He  was  one  of  the  earlier  students  in  Waterville 
College,  but  did  not  finish  his  course,  and  was  ordained 
May  2,  1826,  Dr.  Chapin  preaching  the  sermon.  He 
served  the  churches  in  Levant  and  East  Corinth,  and 
in  1843  was  sent  by  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Soci- 
ety to  Aroostook  County.  In  1844,  he  removed  his  fam- 
ily to  Houlton,  which  henceforward  was  his  home  until  his 
death.  His  labors,  and  also  those  of  Mrs.  Spaulding,  were 
abundant  and  most  successful,  extending  over  a  large 
extent  of  territory,  and  resulting  in  the  organization  of 
churches  in  not  a  few  of  the  new,  growing  towns  of  the 
county.  In  pioneer  work  he  took  especial  delight.  With 
Bibles  and  tracts  he  made  his  way  to  the  scattered  settle- 
ments, called  together  the  people  in  schoolhouses  and  log 
cabins,  and  preached  the  gospel  with  an  earnestness  and 
simplicity  which  made  for  it  an  entrance  into  many  hearts. 


446  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

Our  churches  in  Aroostook  County  are  as  many  monu- 
ments to  his  memory. 

Another  life,  likewise  devoted  to  the  interests  of  the 
denomination  in  the  State,  but  in  a  different  sphere  of 
action,  came  to  a  close  when  James  T.  Champlin,  D.  D., 
died  at  his  home  in  Portland,  March  15,  1882.  He  was 
ordained  in  Portland  May  3,  1838,  as  pastor  of  the  First 
Baptist  church.  Here  he  had  a  most  successful  pastorate, 
but  a  bronchial  trouble  compelled  him  in  1841  to  abandon 
his  pulpit  labors,  and  he  accepted  a  position  as  professor 
of  ancient  languages  in  Waterville  College.  Here  his  life- 
work  was  accomplished,  a  work  heroically  prosecuted,  and 
which  has  secured  for  him  a  prominent  place  in  our  Maine 
educational  history. 

One  by  one  those  who  had  been  active  in  church  or 
educational  work  were  passing  away.  Ex-Gov.  Abner 
Coburn  died  Jan.  4,  1885,  a  few  weeks  before  his  eighty- 
second  birthday.  His  father,  Eleazer  Coburn,  was  a  native 
of  Dracut,  Mass.,  and  came  to  Somerset  County,  Maine, 
in  1792,  when  fifteen  years  of  age.  Here  he  made  for 
himself  a  home  and  an  honorable  name  as  a  farmer  and  a 
land  surveyor.  On  his  mother's  side  Governor  Coburn's 
ancestors  were  prominent  in  the  early  history  of  the  State. 
His  grandfather  Weston  guided  Benedict  Arnold's  expedi- 
tion through  Maine  on  its  way  to  Canada,  and  died  in  con- 
sequence of  exposure  on  the  way.  His  father  was  engaged 
in  extensive  lumber  operations  on  the  Kennebec,  and  the 
sons,  Abner  and  Philander,  were  associated  with  him, 
under  the  firm  name  of  E.  Coburn  &  Sons.  In  1845,  the 
father  died,  and  the  firm  of  A.  &  P.  Coburn  was  formed. 
For  two  score  years  nearly  this  firm  enjoyed  a  reputa- 
tion for  business  sagacity  and  integrity  which  was  sec- 
ond to  none  in  the  State.  The  firm  increased  largely  its 
land-holdings,  at  one  time  owning  450,000  acres  in  Maine 
and  many  thousand  acres  in  the  western  States.  The 
Coburns  also  became  interested  in  some  of  our  railroads  in 
Maine,  especially  the  Somerset  &  Kennebec,  and  subse- 
quently the  Portland  &  Kennebec  and  the  Maine  Central. 


HON.    ABNER   COBURN. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  447 

Of  the  former  and  the  latter  Abner  Coburn  was  president. 
He  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Legislature  in  1838,  1840 
and  in  1844.  In  1855,  he  was  a  member  of  Gov.  A.  P. 
Morrill's  council,  and  in  1857,  of  Governor  Hamlin's  coun- 
cil. In  1860,  he  was  an  elector  on  the  Lincoln  ticket.  In 
1862,  he  was  elected  governor  of  Maine,  and  faithfully 
he  served  the  State  in  that  strenuous  period.  Governor 
Coburn 's  large  and  increasing  wealth  gave  him  the  means 
of  contributing  generously  to  many  benevolent  and  educa- 
tional institutions  and  to  many  private  charities.  Not  a 
few  of  the  Baptist  churches  in  Maine  found  in  him  a  gen- 
erous helper,  and  for  many  years  previous  to  his  death 
he  was  a  constant  contributor  to  the  work  of  the  Maine 
Baptist  Missionary  Convention.  He  was  elected  a  trustee 
of  the  college  in  1845,  and  from  1874  until  his  death  he 
was  president  of  its  board  of  trustees. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Conven- 
tion in  South  Berwick,  in  1883,  Rev.  James  McWhinnie, 
pastor  of  the  Free  St.  church,  Portland,  called  attention  to 
the  claims  of  the  Maine  General  Hospital  in  Portland,  and 
suggested  that  the  Baptists  of  Maine  annually  secure  for 
the  denomination  a  free  bed  in  the  hospital.  The  sugges- 
tion was  favorably  received,  a  large  number  of  pledges 
were  made  and  the  bed  was  secured.  At  the  meeting  of 
the  Convention  in  Houlton,  in  1884,  an  announcement  to 
this  effect  was  made,  and  the  recording  secretary  of  the 
Convention  was  requested  to  solicit  and  receive  contribu- 
tions for  this  purpose.  This  he  has  done  in  each  succeed- 
ing year  since  that  time,  and  in  all  these  years  the  Baptist 
free  bed  in  the  Maine  General  Hospital  has  been  of  untold 
value. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Con- 
vention in  Portland,  in  1885,  Rev.  A.  K.  P.  Small,  D.  D., 
referred  to  the  pioneer  labors  of  Rev.  Isaac  Case,  and  sug- 
gested that  from  a  daguerreotype,  taken  late  in  Father 
Case's  life,  an  oil  portrait  should  be  painted  and  placed  in 
Memorial  Hall,  Colby  University.  A  committee  of  ladies, 
one  from  each  association  in  the  State,  was  appointed  to 


448  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

raise  the  necessary  funds,  and  the  portrait  was  presented 
to  the  college  at  the  commencement  in  1886. 

The  life  and  work  of  Rev.  Isaac  Case  were  recalled  much 
more  fully,  however,  at  the  centennial  of  the  Bowdoinham 
Association,  Sept.  13,  14  and  15,  1887.  The  meeting  was 
held  in  Bowdoinham,  the  birthplace  of  the  association. 
Maj.  E.  Rowell  of  Hallo  well  was  moderator  of  the  associa- 
tion, and  the  session  was  opened  with  prayer  by  Rev.  J. 
Ricker,  D.  D.  The  historical  discourse  was  by  Rev.  E.  S. 
Small,  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Livermore  Falls, 
and  was  the  result  of  an  extended  and  most  careful  study 
of  the  sources.  A  paper  on  Rev.  Isaac  Case  was  read  by 
Rev.  Henry  S.  Burrage,  D.  D.,  of  Portland.  In  the  his- 
torical discourse  and  in  the  paper  on  Rev.  Isaac  Case,  the 
value  of  Mr.  Case's  services  in  the  pioneer  period  of  our 
Maine  Baptist  churches  was  very  fully  presented.  Both 
the  discourse  and  the  paper  on  Mr.  Case  were  published  in 
full  in  connection  with  the  Convention  Minutes  for  1887. 

In  many  of  the  churches,  for  quite  a  number  of  years, 
various  methods  had  been  adopted  in  the  endeavor  to 
secure  from  the  entire  membership  of  the  churches  as 
largely  as  possible  contributions  for  benevolent  objects. 
While  the  membership  of  the  churches  had  remained 
about  the  same,  there  had  not  been  such  a  gain  in  benev- 
olent contributions  as  the  better  financial  condition  of  the 
country  would  seem  to  warrant.  The  membership  of  the 
churches  and  the  total  benevolent  contributions  for  twenty 
years  previous  to  1887,  as  reported  in  the  Minutes,  are 
here  given : 


1868, 

19,833 

$19,151.88 

1878, 

20,954 

$13,331.78 

1869, 

19,488 

16,311.98 

1879, 

21,165 

11,954.48 

1870, 

19,351 

13,236.00 

1880, 

21,013 

17,702.04 

1871, 

19,593 

14,785.00 

1881, 

20,637 

13,270.52 

1872, 

19.511 

13,278.00 

1882, 

20,247 

14,060.77 

1873, 

19,245 

15,973.31 

1883, 

20,039 

13,430.64 

1874, 

19,303 

17,259.91 

1884, 

19,942 

13,959.82 

1875, 

19,490 

16,590.02 

1885, 

19,744 

13,823.99 

1876, 

19,712 

15,676.80 

1886, 

19,871 

18,241.54 

1877, 

20,523 

16,537.82 

1887, 

19,613 

18,959.62 

HISTORY  OP  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  449 

During  this  period  the  subject  of  systematic  and  propor- 
tionate giving  for  benevolent  objects  received  increased 
attention.  At  the  meeting  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Mission- 
ary Convention  in  South  Berwick,  in  1883,  Rev.  W.  S. 
Roberts  of  Rockland  read  a  paper  on  '  'Systematic  Benevo- 
lence." An  earnest  discussion  followed.  Rev.  E.  S.  Small 
of  Livermore  Falls  at  the  same  meeting  offered  the  follow- 
ing resolution,  which  was  adopted:  "Resolved,  That  the 
missionaries  of  this  Convention  be  instructed  to  make  it 
plain  to  all  our  pastorless  churches  which  they  may  be 
well  able  to  reach,  that  if  the  preponderating  influence  in 
any  church  shall  be  opposed  to  the  scriptural  principle  of 
regular  offerings  of  property  to  the  Lord,  proportionately 
to  every  one's  prosperity,  after  a  reasonable  amount  of 
exhortation,  this  Convention  will  not  be  expected  to  make 
further  appropriations  to  such  a  church." 

A  little  later.  Rev.  E.  A.  Mason,  then  pastor  of  the  Bap- 
tist church  in  Bluehill,  was  led  to  give  special  attention  to 
this  subject  because  of  the  state  of  things  which  he  found 
in  the  churches  of  Hancock  Association.  A  study  of  the 
situation  revealed  the  fact  that  very  largely  the  churches 
were  without  any  system  in  making  their  contributions  for 
benevolent  purposes.  Of  the  twenty-seven  churches  in 
that  association  only  three  made  any  claim  to  a  system, 
while  two  of  the  three  acknowledged  that  what  they  called 
a  system  was  in  reality  little  more  than  an  apology  for 
one.^  Not  one  of  the  twenty-seven  churches  was  in  touch 
with  all  the  larger  benevolences  of  the  denomination. 
Indeed,  the  year  before  only  seven  of  the  churches  gave 
to  all  the  three  organizations,  the  Maine  Baptist  Mission- 
ary Convention,  the  American  Baptist  Missionary  Union 
and  the  American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society,  and  not 
one  gave  to  all  five  of  the  organizations,  the  Maine  Baptist 
Missionary  Convention,  the  American  Baptist  Missionary 
Union,  the  American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society,  the 
American  Baptist  Publication  Society  and  the  Maine  Bap- 
tist Education  Society.     Not  a  few  of  the  members  of  the 

'  Report  of  Hancock  Benevolence  System,  by  Rev.  E.  A.  Mason,  1896. 

30 


450  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

churches  evidently  made  their  contributions  for  benevo- 
lence at  the  association.  Seven  collections  were  taken  at 
the  associational  meeting  in  1886,  the  receipts  amounting 
to  $186.79.  At  the  meeting  of  the  association  in  1887,  in 
the  annual  sermon,  Mr.  Mason  called  attention  to  this  mat- 
ter, and  a  committee  was  appointed  to  present  a  resolu- 
tion concerning  the  scriptural  plan  of  benevolence.  The 
subject  was  further  considered  at  the  close  of  the  after- 
noon session.  On  the  following  day  the  committee  made 
a  report  as  follows :  "Whereas  experience  has  proved  that 
organized  giving  raises  more  money  more  easily,  in  ways 
more  equal,  and  whereas  we  find  a  scriptural  plan  in 
1  Cor.  16,  therefore,  Resolved,  That  as  an  association  we 
adopt  for  benevolent  objects  the  system  of  weekly  giving, 
or  weekly  laying  by." 

Rev.  William  Ashmore,  D.  D.,  the  veteran  missionary  to 
China,  had  the  story  of  what  followed  from  Rev.  John  M. 
Foster,  who  was  present,  and  he  gives  it  in  these  graphic 
words :  "Then  all  hands  came  together,  the  whole  associa- 
tion, —pastors,  deacons,  devout  members,  men  and  women, 
and  spent  half  the  forenoon  in  discussion :  Shall  we  stick 
to  the  old  heave-and-tug  offering,  or  shall  we  try  the 
Pauline  plan  for  all  objects  of  benevolence,  and  have  a 
steady  stream  instead  of  a  series  of  spurts  ?  They  took 
a  stand-up  vote  and  voted  Pauline  unanimously." 

Rev.  E.  A.  Mason  of  Bluehill,  Rev.  E.  A.  Davis  of  Sedg- 
wick, Dea.  W.  H.  Rice  of  Lamoine  and  Dea.  Horace 
Perkins  of  Penobscot  were  requested  to  formulate  a  plan 
for  the  introduction  of  the  proposed  system.  Mr.  Mason 
says :  "Careful  study  was  given  by  the  committee  with  a 
view  to  the  utmost  simplicity.  The  result  of  their  work 
was  the  printing  of  six  thousand  envelopes  such  as  have 
been  in  constant  use  in  Hancock  Association  since.  The 
envelope  combined  these  features— it  was  a  reminder  of 
the  obligation  to  give,  to  lay  by  the  offerings  on  the  first 
day  of  the  week,  to  give  for  God's  kingdom  rather  than 
to  missionary  organizations  as  if  they  were  competitive 
establishments,  and  also  a  receptacle  for  the  offerings. 


HISTORY  OP  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  451 

The  envelope  further  recognized  that  each  giver  had  the 
right  to  direct  to  what  proportion  his  gifts  should  be 
divided,  and  granted  that  right,  while  yet  it  suggested 
what  was  believed  to  be  a  just  proportion  for  the  dis- 
tribution of  offerings  to  the  six  organizations  given 
place  on  the  envelope.  Each  pastor  was  made  responsi- 
ble for  the  pushing  of  the  system  in  the  church  of  which 
he  was  pastor,  while  the  oversight  of  pastorless  churches 
was  given  to  different  pastors  or  was  assumed  by  the 
committee." 

The  churches  accepted  the  plan  presented  with  much 
cordiality,  twenty-one  of  the  twenty-seven  churches  adopt- 
ing it  the  first  year  after  it  was  presented.  At  first  the 
associational  oversight  was  very  slight,  and  the  commit- 
tee did  little  more  than  provide  the  necessary  envelopes, 
and  send  them  to  the  churches.  But  it  was  soon  found 
that  the  successful  working  of  the  system  required  a  more 
extensive  oversight.  "Thus  the  association,  in  its  annual 
gatherings,  later  appointed  some  one  in  each  church, 
generally  not  the  pastor,  who  should  act  as  agent  for  the 
system  in  his  or  her  church,  and  also  enough  sub-agents 
in  each  church  so  that  each  worker  might  have  the  care  of 
only  a  few  names.  Also,  because  of  the  expense  of  send- 
ing the  money  to  the  six  different  societies,  where  each 
sent  its  money,  a  treasurer  was  appointed  to  whom  the 
churches  might  send  their  offerings,  and  who  should  for- 
ward the  proportionate  part  of  the  offerings  of  all  the 
churches  at  the  close  of  each  quarter  to  the  proper  socie- 
ties." Dea.  W.  H.  Rice  of  Lamoine  was  elected  treasurer 
in  1888,  and  held  the  office  for  quite  a  number  of  years. 
Literature,  having  reference  to  systematic  beneficence, 
was  extensively  circulated  in  1888-1893,  and  during  this 
time  conferences,  which  were  attended  by  the  pastors, 
agents,  sub-agents  and  others  interested  in  the  working  of 
the  system,  were  occasionally  held. 

One  of  the  results  of  the  system  was  the  discontinuance 
of  the  collections  at  the  annual  meetings  of  the  associa- 
tion.   Another  result  was  largely  increased  contributions, 


452  HISTORY  OP  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

and  a  wider  distribution  of  the  same.  In  the  Appendix 
will  be  found  a  table  giving  the  benevolent  contributions 
of  Hancock  Association  for  ten  years  preceding  the  adop- 
tion of  the  Hancock  system,  and  also  the  contributions  of 
the  association  during  the  ten  years*  following  the  adop- 
tion of  the  system.  These  figures  show  that  the  benev- 
olence of  the  churches  in  the  Hancock  Association  was 
greatly  increased  by  the  system  of  weekly  giving.  The 
benevolent  contributions  of  the  churches  during  the  ten 
years  following  the  adoption  of  the  system  were  more 
than  twice  as  large  as  they  were  during  the  ten  preced- 
ing years,  and  the  distribution  of  these  contributions  was 
determined  by  a  more  careful  consideration  of  the  needs 
of  the  various  organizations  to  which  these  benevolent 
gifts  were  sent.  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  contribu- 
tions of  the  churches  during  the  twenty  years  under 
review  were  the  largest  in  1896.  This  was  the  result  of 
"an  advance  movement"  because  of  the  following  action 
taken  by  the  association  at  the  annual  meeting  in  1895 : 
"Resolved,  That  in  view  of  its  oftener  being  easier  to 
bring  to  a  successful  issue  a  large  plan  than  a  small  one, 
we  will,  in  the  coming  year,  make  a  bold  but  prayerful 
and  persistent  and  thorough  effort  to  get  at  least  one 
thousand  of  our  more  than  seventeen  hundred  members 
to  use  the  benevolent  envelope  of  our  Hancock  Association 
Benevolence  System,  and  to  secure,  through  the  envel- 
opes, not  less  than  $2,000."  The  Minutes  for  1896  show 
that  in  this  advance  movement  $2,108.01  were  secured,  or 
$108.01  more  than  the  proposed  amount. 

The  Kennebec  Association  adopted  the  Hancock  sys- 
tem in  1889,  and  Washington  and  York  Associations  in 
1892.  At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Mis- 
sionary Convention  in  1892,  the  following  action  was 
taken:  "Whereas,  The  Associational  Benevolent  System, 
as  organized  and  perfected  during  an  operation  of  five 
years,  by  the  Hancock  Association,  has  proved  an  unqual- 
ified success,  and  has  received  the  commendations  of 
thoughtful  Christian  workers  who  have  investigated  the 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  453 

system ;  therefore,  Resolved,  That  the  Maine  Baptist  Mis- 
sionary Convention  recommend  that  each  association  in 
the  State  adopt  this  system,  and  Resolved,  That  the  cor- 
responding secretary  of  the  Convention  be  authorized  to 
use  the  influence  of  his  position  that  the  above  recommen- 
dation be  carried  to  a  successful  issue." 

In  accordance  with  this  recommendation,  Lincoln,  Penob- 
scot and  Piscataquis  Associations  adopted  the  system  in 
1893  and  Bowdoinham  Association  in  1894.  Eight  of  the 
twelve  associations  in  the  State  were  thus  united  in  the 
use  of  the  Hancock  system.  But  in  no  one  of  them  was 
the  system  as  generally  and  as  heartily  accepted  by  the 
churches  as  in  the  Hancock  Association.  In  no  one  of 
them,  too,  was  there  the  same  careful  supervision.  Even 
in  Hancock  Association  the  earnestness  and  zeal  mani- 
fested in  the  first  ten  years  of  the  system  was  not  main- 
tained in  the  second  decade,  and,  as  will  be  seen  by  a 
table  in  the  Appendix,  there  was  a  falling  off  in  the 
benevolent  contributions  of  the  churches. 

Changes  in  the  pastorate  in  part  account  for  this  less- 
ening interest  in  the  system,  and  in  the  contributions  of 
the  churches.  Very  naturally  the  new  men  did  not  have 
the  same  enthusiasm  and  persistency  as  those  who  had 
introduced  the  system  and  devoted  themselves  so  heroic- 
ally to  the  work  of  its  successful  development.  Commit- 
tees and  agents  also  found  it  easier  to  expend  less  rather 
than  increased  energy  in  the  execution  of  their  duties. 
Enthusiasm  in  the  membership  of  the  churches  accord- 
ingly waned,  and  the  best  results  of  the  system,  as  was  to 
be  expected,  failed  of  realization.  But  while  all  that  was 
expected  from  the  Hancock  system  was  not  secured,  good 
results  were  clearly  manifest,  while  in  Hancock  Associa- 
tion, even  after  the  earlier  enthusiasm  of  the  workers 
was  no  longer  in  evidence,  the  benevolent  contributions 
were  far  in  excess  of  what  they  had  been  before  the  intro- 
duction of  the  system,  although  the  membership  of  the 
churches  had  declined  from  1,967  in  1878  to  1,689  in  1903. 

An  important  step  was  taken  in  1886  at  Rockland,  at 


454  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

the  meeting  of  the  Convention,  by  the  appointment  of  a 
committee  to  take  into  consideration  a  rearrangement  of 
the  associational  lines  in  order  to  bring  them  into  con- 
formity with  present  lines  of  travel.  These  in  some  parts 
of  the  State  made  it  very  difficult  for  the  delegates  from 
the  churches  to  attend  the  annual  associational  meetings. 
For  example,  the  Baptist  church  in  Cape  Neddick  and  the 
Baptist  church  in  Springvale  were  in  the  York  Associa- 
tion, but  when  the  York  Association  met  in  Cape  Ned- 
dick the  delegates  from  Springvale  were  obliged  to  go  to 
Rochester,  N.  H. ,  thence  to  Portsmouth,  N.  H. ,  and  thence 
to  Cape  Neddick  by  way  of  the  York  Beach  Railroad,  a 
journey  which  cost  about  as  much,  and  required  about  as 
much  time,  as  to  go  to  Boston.  But  changes,  however 
desirable,  met  with  objections  in  many  quarters.  At  the 
meeting  of  the  Convention  held  in  Bangor  in  1887,  the 
committee  appointed  at  Rockland  in  the  previous  year  sug- 
gested a  rearrangement  of  the  lines  of  the  York  and  Saco 
River  Associations.  The  proposed  arrangement  included 
the  two  Portland  churches  connected  with  the  Cumberland 
Association,  and  the  committee  was  instructed  to  bring 
the  matter  before  these  churches.  This  was  done,  but 
no  action  was  taken  by  them  until  the  summer  of  1889, 
when  both  of  the  Portland  churches  voted  to  withdraw 
from  the  Cumberland  Association,  and  unite  with  the 
Saco  River  Association.  This  meant  the  sundering  of  very 
strong  ties.  The  associational  fellowship  of  the  Portland 
churches  with  the  other  churches  of  the  Cumberland  Asso- 
ciation had  been  a  delightful  one.  But  the  rearrange- 
ment of  the  Hnes  of  York  Association,  which  included  the 
churches  along  the  line  of  the  Boston  &  Maine  Railroad, 
left  the  Saco  River  Association,  with  its  churches  along 
the  line  of  the  Portland  &  Rochester  Railroad,  without  the 
strong  helpers  they  had  known  for  so  many  years.  They 
could  only  be  requited  by  this  transfer  of  the  Portland 
churches.  This  accordingly  was  cheerfully  done.  The 
churches  in  Sanford,  Springvale,  Acton,  Lebanon,  Shap- 
leigh,  Milton  Mills,  N.  H.,  withdrew  from  the  York  Asso- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  455 

ciation  and  united  with  the  Saco  River  Association.  The 
churches  in  Lyman,  Kennebunkport,  Saco  and  Biddeford 
withdrew  from  the  Saco  River  Association  and  united  with 
the  York  Association,  this  new  arrangement  going  into 
effect  in  1890. 

The  question  of  a  division  of  the  Penobscot  Association 
was  considered  at  a  meeting  of  the  association  at  Caribou 
in  1887.  At  the  meeting  of  the  association  at  Oldtown, 
Sept.  12,  1888,  the  matter  was  again  considered.  The 
Aroostook  churches  unanimously  requested  a  dismissal  for 
the  purpose  of  organizing  a  new  association.  Sept.  28, 
1888,  delegates  from  eleven  Baptist  churches  in  Aroos- 
took County,  namely,  Hodgdon,  Houlton,  Orient,  Caribou, 
Forest  City,  New  Limerick,  Smyrna,  Presque  Isle,  Cary, 
Washburn  and  Amity,  met  in  Cary  and  after  a  tempo- 
rary organization  had  been  effected  they  organized  the 
Aroostook  Baptist  Association. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Bowdoinham  Association  in  1900, 
it  was  voted  to  change  the  associational  lines  so  as  to 
include  all  the  Baptist  churches  in  the  Androscoggin  val- 
ley, also  those  on  the  line  of  railroad  between  and  includ- 
ing Farmington  and  Bath  ;  and  a  committee  was  appointed 
to  confer  with  other  associations  with  reference  to  asso- 
ciational lines  and  report  at  the  next  meeting.  At  this 
meeting  in  1901,  the  churches  in  Augusta,  Gardiner  and 
Hallowell  requested  letters  of  dismission  to  the  Kennebec 
Association,  and  the  request  was  granted. 

The  withdrawal  of  the  Portland  churches  from  the  Cum- 
berland Association  weakened  it  numerically,  and  at  the 
meeting  of  the  association  at  Auburn  in  1891,  it  was  voted 
that  the  churches  of  the  Cumberland  Association  unite 
with  the  Bowdoinham  Association  or  elsewhere,  as  may  be 
preferable,  subject  to  the  separate  action  of  the  churches, 
the  churches  being  requested  to  take  action  upon  the 
matter  immediately  and  report  to  a  committee,  which 
was  appointed  to  make  further  necessary  arrangements. 
When  the  Cumberland  Association  met  in  Lewiston,  Sept. 
21,  1902,  it  was  found  that  all  the  churches  except  the 


456  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

church  at  Lisbon  Falls  had  voted  in  favor  of  disband- 
ing the  association.  On  the  same  day  the  Bowdoinham 
Association  met  in  Lewiston,  and  the  churches  in  Lew- 
iston,  Auburn,  Bath,  Topsham,  East  Auburn,  Yarmouth, 
Brunswick,  Harpswell,  Lisbon  Falls,  Freeport,  Mechanic 
Falls,  East  Brunswick,  from  the  Cumberland  Asssociation, 
were  received  to  membership ;  and  the  church  in  Farm- 
ington  from  the  Kennebec  Association.  In  accordance 
with  this  action  of  the  Cumberland  Association,  the  Saco 
River  Association  dropped  its  name  and  took  the  name  of 
the  Cumberland  Association  (the  change  of  associational 
lines  making  the  name  Saco  River  a  meaningless  desig- 
nation), retaining  a  designation  with  which  the  Portland 
churches  had  been  familiar  from  an  early  period.^ 

Changes  in  other  associations  brought  about  the  dissolu- 
tion of  the  Waldo  Association.  At  a  meeting  of  the  Asso- 
ciation at  North  Vassalborough,  Sept.  14,  15  and  16,  1892, 
the  proposed  dissolution  was  discussed,  and  it  was  voted 
to  leave  the  matter  with  a  committee  who  were  to  submit 
the  matter  to  the  churches.  If  a  majority  voted  in  favor 
of  the  proposed  change,  the  association  was  to  be  dis- 
solved, leaving  the  churches  to  unite  with  such  associa- 
tions as  they  deemed  preferable.  Such  a  majority  was 
secured,  and  the  Waldo  Association  was  accordingly  dis- 
solved. Belfast,  Northport,  Morrill  and  First  and  Sec- 
ond Palermo,  united  with  the  Lincoln  Association.  The 
churches  in  China,  Vassalborough,  North  Vassalborough, 
Winslow,  Knox  and  Liberty  united  with  the  Kennebec 
Association.  Windsor  united  with  the  Damariscotta  Asso- 
ciation. 

There  can  be  no  question  but  that  these  associational 
changes  were  made  with  a  view  to  the  best  interests  of 
the  churches.  They  were  not  easily  made,  so  strong  are 
the  ties  formed  by  long  continued  fellowship;  but  the 
churches  saw  the  need  of  these  changes,  and  they  entered 

'  An  historical  sketch  of  Cumberland  Association  was  read  at  the  meeting  of  the  Bow- 
doinham Association  at  Lewiston,  Sept.  21,  1892,  by  Rev.  D.  T.  Wyman  of  Lewiston.  and 
this  was  published  in  the  Convention  Minutes  that  year. 


BATES   STREET   CHURCH,    LEWISTON. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  457 

into  new  relations  with  the  same  desire  to  promote  the 
interests  of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom  that  had  character- 
ized them  in  their  work  hitherto. 

In  June,  1890,  the  General  Conference  of  the  Congrega- 
tional churches  in  Maine  was  held  in  Bridgton.  Rev.  C. 
S.  Cummings  of  Rockland  was  the  appointed  fraternal  del- 
egate to  this  body  from  the  East  Maine  Conference  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  He  was  unable  to  be  pres- 
ent, but  sent  a  letter  in  which  he  suggested  whether  it 
would  not  be  well  for  the  several  denominations  in  Maine 
to  consider  '  'some  plans  for  co-operation  where  the  work  is 
mutual."  "Where  Protestantism  has  common  enemies," 
he  said,  "it  should  present  a  common  front  and  a  common 
purpose.  There  are  enough  Christians  in  some  places  to 
support  a  church  well  and  make  it  a  vital  factor  in  the  life 
of  the  community,  but  they  are  divided  into  various  sects, 
which  are  simply  missions  whose  influence  is  but  a  frac- 
tion of  what  it  should  be.  How  this  problem  is  to  be 
solved,  we  may  not  see ;  but  it  is  time  that  it  had  a  more 
prominent  place  in  our  deliberations,  that  a  solution  may 
be  possible  at  some  time."  As  a  result  of  this  suggestion 
a  committee  of  four  was  appointed  by  the  Conference,  "to 
request  the  appointment  of  similar  committees  by  the 
Methodist,  Baptist,  Free  Baptist  and  Christian  Baptist 
conferences,  and  to  act  with  them  in  consideration  of  the 
best  methods  of  action  in  the  small  communities  of  this 
State  with  a  view  to  co-operation  in  such  manner  as  best 
to  promote  the  cause  of  Christ  in  these  communities,  and 
that  this  committee  continue  its  action  in  such  cases  as 
seem  to  call  for  consideration."  President  Hyde  of  Bow- 
doin  College  was  made  chairman  of  this  committee  of  the 
Congregational  Conference,  and  communication  was  held 
with  each  of  the  above  named  bodies.  The  committee 
appointed  by  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Convention 
was  as  follows  :  President  Albion  W.  Small  of  Colby  Uni- 
versity, Rev.  G.  D.  B.  Pepper,  D.  D.,  Rev.  H.  S.  Burrage, 
D.  D.,  and  Rev.  A.  T.  Dunn,  D.  D.  The  first  meeting  was 
held  in  Brunswick  Dec.  15,  1890.    Sixteen  of  the  twenty 


458  HISTORY  OP  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

appointees  were  present,  and  a  statement  in  reference  to 
possible  co-operation  was  adopted  and  given  to  the  press 
of  the  State. 

At  a  second  conference,  held  in  Waterville  Nov.  4,  1891, 
the  desirability  of  a  more  effective  organization  found 
expression  in  the  following  resolution,  which  was  adopted : 

*  'We  recommend  to  the  State  bodies  at  their  meetings  in 
1892  the  appointment  of  a  permanent  commission,  to  con- 
sist of  three  members  each  from  each  denomination,  to 
which  practical  and  concrete  cases,  involving  matters  of 
interdenominational  comity,  may  be  referred.  And  we 
recommend  that  in  the  above  named  commission  by  each 
State  body  one  member  shall  annually  be  chosen  to  hold  for 
three  years,  thus  to  secure  that  continuity  which  is  essen- 
tial to  the  best  results." 

This  call  for  a  permanent  organization  was  favorably 
received  by  members  of  the  religious  bodies  concerned, 
and  at  a  meeting  of  the  commission,  held  in  Lewiston 
Dec.  9,  1892,  a  constitution  was  adopted,^  to  which  was 
added  a  statement  of  principles. 

>  Article  I.— Object. 
The  object  of  this  Commission  shall  be  to  promote  co-operation  in  the  organization  and 
maintenance  of  churches  in  Maine ;  to  prevent  waste  of  resources  and  effort  in  the 
smaller  towns  ;  and  to  stimulate  missionary  work  in  the  destitute  regions. 

Article  II.— Membership. 
The  members  of  this  Commission  shall  consist  of  three  delegates  each,  from  the  Bap- 
tist, Christian,  Congregational,  and  Free  Baptist  denominations,  and  of  two  members 
each  from  the  Maine  and  East  Maine  Conferences  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
elected  by  their  respective  bodies.  One  member  from  each  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Conferences  shall  be  elected  annually  for  the  period  of  two  years.  One  member  from 
each  of  the  other  bodies  shall  be  elected  annually  for  the  period  of  three  years. 

Article  III,— Officers. 
The  officers  of  this  Commission  shall  be  a  President,  Vice  President,  and  Secretary 
who  shall  be  Treasurer.    These  officers  shall  hold  their  offices  for  one  year,  or  until 
others  shall  be  chosen. 

Article  IV.— Executive  Committee. 
There  shall  be  an  Executive  Committee  consisting  of  one  from  each  denomination,  of 
which  the  President  and  Secretary  shall  be  members,  and  in  which  they  shall  act  in  their 
respective  capacities.    It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Executive  Committee  to  consider  ques- 
tions of  comity  which  may  be  referred  to  them,  and  to  make  recommendations  in  behalf 

of  the  Commission. 

Article  V.— Meetings. 
There  shall  be  an  annual  meeting  at  such  time  and  place  and  of  such  a  character  as 
the  Executive  Committee  shall  determine.    Special  meetings  of  the  Commission  may  be 
called  at  any  time  by  the  President,  or  at  the  request  of  three  members. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  459 

Dr.  Dunn  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  organization  of  the 
Commission,  and  was  its  very  efficient  secretary  until  his 
death.  In  an  account  of  the  work  of  the  Commission,  pre- 
pared by  him  and  published  in  1894,  he  said:  "It  seems 
desirable  so  to  present  Christ  to  people  in  our  sparsely  set- 
tled communities,  as  elsewhere,  that  they  may  be  won  to 
him  through  the  harmonious,  loving  service  of  his  follow- 
ers, rather  than  driven  from  him  by  the  dissensions  and 
divisions  among  those  who  claim  to  follow  him.  It  cer- 
tainly is  a  travesty  on  Christianity  which  is  seen  in  some 
of  our  communities  in  which  are  found  three,  and  some- 
times more,  little  companies  of  people,  numbering  forty 
or  fifty  each,  gathered  for  the  purpose  of  worshiping  God. 

Article  VI.— Quorum. 
Seven  members  of  the  Commission  shall  constitute  a  quorum  for  the  transaction  of 

business. 

Article  VII.— Amendments. 
This  constitution  may  be  amended  at  any  regular  meeting:  of  the  Commission  by  a  two- 
thirds  vote  of  the  members  of  the  Commission. 

STATEMENT  OF  PRINCIPLES. 
Recoifnizing  the  evident  desire  of  the  evangelical  denominations  of  Maine  to  do  more 
efficient  work  for  our  common  Lord,  and 
Believing:  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  moving:  Christians  toward  practical  co-operation  : 
We  rejoice  in  the  progreaa  already  made  in  this  direction,  and  desire  to  affirm  our  con- 
viction as  follows : 

I.  That  the  churches  in  the  cities  and  larger  towns  ought  to  co-operate  according  to 
the  plans  of  the  Evangelical  Alliance,  or  others  of  similar  nature. 

II.  That  church  extension  into  destitute  communities  should  be  conducted,  as  far  as 
practicable,  according  to  the  following  considerations  : 

1.  No  community,  in  which  any  denomination  has  any  legitimate  claim,  should  be 
entered  by  any  other  denomination  through  its  official  agencies  without  conference  with 
the  denomination,  or  denominations,  having  said  claims. 

2.  A  feeble  church  should  be  revived,  if  possible,  rather  than  a  new  one  established  to 
become  its  rival. 

3.  The  preferences  of  a  community  should  always  be  regarded  by  denominational 
committees,  missionary  agents  and  individual  workers. 

4.  Those  denominations  having  churches  nearest  at  hand  should,  other  things  being 
equal,  be  recogmized  as  in  the  most  advantageous  jwsition  to  encourage  and  aid  a  new 
enterprise  in  their  vicinity. 

5.  In  case  one  denomination  begins  gospel  work  in  a  destitute  community,  it  should 
be  left  to  develop  that  work  without  other  denominational  interference. 

6.  Temi)orary  suspension  of  church  work  by  any  denomination  occupying  a  field 
should  not  be  deemed  sufficient  warrant  in  itself  for  entrance  into  that  field  by  another 
denomination.  Temporary  suspension  should  be  deemed  temporary  abandonment  when 
a  church  has  had  no  preaching  and  held  no  meetings  for  an  entire  year  or  more. 

7.  All  questions  of  interpretation  of  the  foregoing  statements,  and  all  cases  of  fric- 
tion between  denominations  or  churches  of  different  denominations,  should  be  referred 
to  the  Commission  through  ita  Executive  Committee. 


460  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

Each  is  too  small  in  numbers,  financial  ability  or  real  effi- 
ciency to  do  any  aggressive  work,  and  keeps  alive  chiefly 
because  of  the  friction  created  by  rubbing  against  the 
others.  Were  it  not  for  the  aid  given  by  the  missionary 
societies,  none  of  them  could  continue  even  to  breathe ; 
while,  in  some  cases  at  least,  if  this  aid  were  all  with- 
drawn and  the  community  left  to  rally  for  its  own  support, 
there  would  be  provided  sufficient  work  for  one  man  and 
ample  means  for  his  maintenance.  It  certainly  becomes  a 
question  of  very  solemn  importance  for  our  State  mission- 
ary societies  to  consider,  whether  or  not  we  do  right  to 
continue  aid  in  some  of  these  fields  chiefly  for  historic  rea- 
sons. 'Historic  sense'  must  sometimes  yield  to  common 
sense ;  and,  if  it  did,  all  of  our  missionary  bodies  would 
cease  aiding  some  churches  which  we  have  aided  chiefly 
because  of  an  honorable  past.  In  some  of  these  communi- 
ties missionary  aid  is  an  opiate  to  some  of  those  aided,  and 
a  red  flag  of  challenge  to  some  in  other  denominations. 
In  some  instances,  withdrawal  of  all  outside  aid  might 
result  in  renewed  effort  at  home,  kindling  self-respect  and 
a  sense  of  personal  responsibility.  The  purpose  of  this 
Commission  is  to  secure  the  facts,  just  as  far  as  possi- 
ble, and  then  'turn  on  the  light'  when  needed.  Too  great 
emphasis  cannot  be  placed  upon  the  statement  of  need 
of  more  thorough  acquaintance  with  each  other  in  this 
work." 

There  can  be  no  question  as  to  the  value  of  the  work 
accomplished  by  the  Interdenominational  Commission  of 
Maine.  Its  advice  has  not  always  been  heeded,  and  in 
some  cases  in  which  it  has  been  heeded  ill  grace  has 
been  manifested.  On  the  whole,  however,  there  has  been 
cheerful,  prompt  acquiescence,  and  because  of  what  it 
has  accomplished,  as  well  as  because  of  what  it  aims  to 
accomplish,  the  Commission  deserves  and  should  continue 
to  have  the  prayerful  co-operation  of  the  Baptists  of 
Maine. 

Some  special  anniversary  services  of  more  than  local 
interest  were  held  about  this  time.    Sept.  2, 1890,  occurred 


V  >  ■'-= 


•a   ^, 


/ 


> 


^       -5- 

/Zl  ' 


A 


//jfV'i" 


^" 


ts. 


^1 


<r, 

<: 

.   y 

03 

.1 .  J 

<  t 

<  z 

^ 

<^i 

'. ; 

r'   -^ 

^ 

,    -J 

::3 

^ 

u 

iL 

^_ 

G 

^ 

Ci 

h- 

0 

r^ 

IL 

^ 

>" 

HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  461 

the  semi-centennial  of  the  Berean  Baptist  church  in  Bruns- 
wick, with  a  historical  discourse  by  Rev.  C.  M.  Herring. 
Aug.  25,  1901,  the  Baptist  church  in  Shapleigh  celebrated 
the  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  its  organization,  Rev. 
E.  L.  Krumreig  delivering  a  historical  discourse.  Oct.  1, 
1891,  the  First  Baptist  church  in  Paris  observed  its  cen- 
tennial, and  a  historical  discourse  of  very  great  interest 
and  value  was  preached  by  Rev.  H.  C.  Estes,  D.  D. ,  a  for- 
mer pastor.  The  First  Baptist  church  in  Waterborough 
observed  its  centennial  Nov.  11,  1901. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Damariscotta  Association,  held 
in  Damariscotta  Sept.  7,  1892,  Rev.  E.  C.  Whittemore  of 
Damariscotta  delivered  a  discourse  presenting  the  history 
of  the  association  during  the  half  century  then  closed,  and 
also  in  brief  the  history  of  the  churches  connected  with 
the  association.  In  the  following  year,  at  the  meeting  of 
the  Damariscotta  Association  at  Nobleborough,  September 
7th,  Mr.  Whittemore  read  a  paper  presenting  the  history 
of  the  First  Baptist  church  in  Nobleborough,  which  was 
organized  July  25,  1793. 

Of  very  great  interest,  a  few  weeks  later,  was  the  cen- 
tennial anniversary  of  the  First  Baptist  church  in  Liver- 
more.  Of  this  church  Rev.  Sylvanus  Boardman,  father  of 
George  Dana  Boardman,  missionary  to  Burma,  was  the 
first  pastor,  and  here  George  Dana  Boardman  was  born. 
The  centennial  of  the  church  was  observed  at  North  Liv- 
ermore,  Oct.  5,  1893.  The  organization  of  the  church 
occurred  Aug.  9,  1793,  and  the  celebration  was  postponed 
from  August  in  order  to  secure  the  presence  of  George 
Dana  Boardman,  D.  D.,  of  Philadelphia,  who  was  in  Europe 
in  August.  The  State  Baptist  anniversaries  were  held  in 
Auburn,  October  3d  and  4th.  A  special  train  left  Auburn 
for  Livermore  Falls  at  7.30  A.  M.  October  5th,  carrying  a 
large  number  of  the  representatives  of  the  Maine  Baptist 
churches.  From  Livermore  Falls  the  visitors  were  taken 
in  carriages  to  the  church  at  North  Livermore,  It  was  a 
cloudless  autumn  day.  There  was  no  dust,  the  air  was 
delicious  and  the  foliage  was  in  its  brightest  colors.     The 


462  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

exercises  in  the  church  commenced  at  10.00  o'clock.  After 
devotional  services,  George  Bullen,  D.  D.,  of  Newton  The- 
ological Institution,  whose  mother  was  a  sister  of  George 
Dana  Boardman,  missionary  to  the  Karens,  read  a  paper 
of  great  interest  and  value  on  the  Boardman  family.^  At 
the  close  of  the  reading  of  this  paper,  Dr.  Boardman  of 
Philadelphia  preached  a  sermon  on  the  apostle  Paul's  five- 
fold prayer  for  the  Ephesians  (Eph.  3 :  14-19) ,  in  a  most 
suggestive  and  helpful  way  unfolding  the  meaning  of  the 
several  parts  of  this  classic  passage.  Dr.  Boardman  had 
expected  to  deliver  an  address,  and  had  prepared  an 
address  for  the  occasion,  but  on  entering  the  church  he 
found  that  on  the  printed  program  he  was  announced  to 
preach.  "They  expect  a  sermon,"  he  said,  "and  I  will 
preach  a  sermon,"  and  the  address  he  had  brought  with 
him  was  unused.  During  the  noon  intermission  many  of 
those  present  visited  the  house  built  by  Rev.  Sylvanus 
Boardman,  while  pastor  of  the  North  Livermore  church. 
Dr.  Boardman  was  one  of  this  interested  company,  and 
at  Dr.  Dunn's  request  he  offered  prayer  in  the  room  in 
which  his  honored  father  was  born.  Who  of  those  pres- 
ent will  ever  forget  that  singularly  felicitous,  heartfelt 
prayer !  In  the  afternoon  Rev.  D.  T.  Wyman  of  Lewiston 
delivered  the  centennial  discourse.  At  the  opening  of  the 
evening  service  Dr.  Boardman  of  Philadelphia  gave  some 
recollections  of  his  father  and  grandfather.  Mrs.  Bullen, 
a  sister  of  George  Dana  Boardman,  the  missionary,  was 
asked  to  say  a  few  words,  and  her  son.  Dr.  Bullen,  read  a 
few  lines  which  she  had  written,  addressed  to  the  North 
Livermore  church.  Dr.  Dunn  also  spoke,  and  President 
Whitman  of  Colby  closed  a  day  of  very  great  interest  with 
a  thoughtful,  uplifting  address. 

The  centennial  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Wayne  was 
observed  Aug.  10,  1894,  and  a  historical  discourse  was 
preached  by  Rev.  Judson  B.  Bryant,  pastor  of  the  church. 
This  church  was  organized  five  years  before  the  incorpora- 

'  This  paper  was  afterward  read  before  the  Maine  Historical  Society  and  ia  published 
in  its  Collections. 


SECOND  CHURCH,    BANGOR. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  463 

tion  of  the  town  of  Wayne  (which  received  its  name  from 
Governor  Wayne  of  Revolutionary  fame) ,  and  at  its  organ- 
ization the  church  was  known  as  "the  Baptist  church  in 
New  Sandwich." 

The  Second  Baptist  church  in  Bangor  was  organized 
Sept.  12,  1845,  and  the  semi-centennial  of  the  church  was 
observed  with  appropriate  services,  the  pastor,  Rev.  G.  B. 
Ilsley,  delivering  a  historical  discourse.  At  the  centennial 
of  the  Baptist  church  in  Cherryfield,  which  occurred  Sept. 
16,  1896,  Rev.  S.  Estes  of  Sanford  delivered  the  historical 
discourse.  Aug.  25,  1896,  the  Baptist  church  in  Limerick 
celebrated  its  one  hundredth  anniversary.  Rev.  G.  B.  Ilsley 
of  Bangor  preaching  the  historical  discourse.  The  Bates 
St.  Baptist  church,  Lewiston,  organized  June  3,  1847, 
observed  its  semi-centennial  with  an  historical  address  by 
Mr.  J.  G.  Elder,  a  member  of  the  church.  June  16,  1897, 
the  Baptist  church  in  Yarmouth  commemorated  the  cen- 
tennial of  its  existence,  and  the  pastor,  Rev.  J.  H.  Bar- 
rows, preached  a  historical  discourse. 

September  4,  1897,  occurred  the  death  of  Joseph  Ricker, 
D.  D.,  at  his  home  in  Augusta.  For  two  years,  by  reason 
of  a  stroke  of  paralysis,  he  had  been  for  the  most  part 
confined  to  his  home.  Up  to  this  time,  since  his  retire- 
ment from  the  secretaryship  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Mission- 
ary Convention,  in  1889,  he  had  devoted  himself  to  the 
lighter  work  for  which  he  still  found  strength  and  oppor- 
tunity. At  the  request  of  those  who  knew  how  intimate 
had  been  his  acquaintance  with  the  prominent  Baptists  of 
the  State,  and  how  full  and  valuable  was  his  information 
concerning  the  work  of  the  churches  for  more  than  half  a 
century,  he  prepared  his  "Personal  Recollections,"  and 
published  the  same  in  1894.  It  was  a  pleasure  for  him  to 
put  these  "Recollections"  in  a  permanent  form,  and  their 
composition  and  publication  occupied  not  a  little  of  his 
time  after  retiring  from  the  secretaryship.  In  fact,  this 
may  be  said  to  have  been  his  last  work,  and  most  fittingly 
it  crowned  a  long,  busy,  useful  life  in  the  interests  of  the 
Baptists  of  Maine. 


464  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

The  Baptist  church  in  South  Berwick  reached  its  seventy- 
fifth  anniversary  Nov.  13,  1898,  and  the  occasion  was  fit- 
tingly commemorated.  A  like  anniversary  of  the  Maine 
Baptist  Missionary  Convention  was  observed  Oct.  3,  1899, 
in  connection  with  the  annual  meetings  at  Cherryfield, 
Rev.  E.  C.  Whittemore  of  Damariscotta  delivering  an  his- 
torical address,  recalling  the  more  important  and  signi- 
ficant facts  in  the  history  of  the  Convention  from  the 
beginning  of  its  work  in  1824.  The  First  Baptist  church 
in  Portland  celebrated  its  one  hundredth  anniversary  Oct. 
10  and  11,  1901. 

Reference  has  already  been  made  to  the  death  of  Dr. 
Dunn,  which  occurred  at  Waterville,  April  2,  1902.  For 
thirteen  years  and  a  half,  from  York  to  Aroostook,  he  had 
been  a  trusted  counsellor,  an  efficient  helper,  a  wise  leader, 
indeed  a  veritable  Great-Heart,  finding  no  greater  enjoy- 
ment than  in  loyal  service  to  his  King,  fulfilling  heartily 
his  many  official  duties  and  guiding  pilgrims  on  their 
way  to  the  Celestial  City.  His  last  sermon  was  from  the 
text,  "The  Son  of  man  is  come  to  seek  and  to  save  that 
which  was  lost."  He  loved  to  make  mention  of  his  Lord. 
He  delighted  to  present  him  as  an  all-sufficient  Saviour. 
Suddenly  cut  down,  in  the  midst  of  his  usefulness,  his 
brethren  could  only  say,  "The  will  of  the  Lord  be  done." 
Devout  men  carried  him  to  his  burial.  At  the  Convention 
in  Rockland  in  October  following.  Dr.  Dunn's  work  for 
his  Master  was  reviewed  in  an  appreciative  address  by 
Rev.  E.  C.  Whittemore,  D.  D. ,  and  then  the  messengers 
of  the  churches,  thanking  God  for  giving  us  such  men, 
returned  to  their  fields  of  labor,  not  in  despondency,  but 
with  the  added  courage  which  the  memory  of  such  faith- 
ful leadership  always  inspires. 

During  the  period  under  review  fifty-three  churches 
were  organized  in  Maine,  viz. :  1865-1870,  South  Hope  and 
South  Robbinston;  1870-1880,  Addison  Point,  Newbury 
Center,  Levant,  North  Vassalborough,  Fairfield,  West 
Ellsworth,  Penobscot,  East  Limington,  Washington,  Coop- 
er's Mills,  Orient,  New  Limerick,  New  Sweden,  Wash- 


BAPTIST   CHURCH,    MILLINOCKET. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  465 

burn,  Easton,  Gary  and  Forest  City ;  1880-1890,  Windsor, 
Monticello,  North  Perry,  East  Steuben,  Bradley,  West 
Levant,  Greenwood,  South  Paris,  Owl's  Head,  Skowhe- 
gan  (Bethany),  East  Bluehill,  Winter  Harbor,  Bar  Har- 
bor, Westbrook,  South  Waterborough  ;  1890-1900,  Perham, 
Brookton,  Oakfield,  North  Oakfield,  Bowdoin  Genter,  West 
Sullivan,  Northeast  Harbor,  Manset,  Smithfield,  Rumford 
Falls,  Larrabee,  Brewer,  Great  Works,  Howland,  Hudson, 
Montague,  Passadumkeag,  South  Levant;  1900,  Gentral 
Square,  Portland. 

A  larger  number  of  churches  have  been  dropped  from 
the  rolls  during  this  period.  In  1865,  according  to  the 
Minutes,  there  were  in  Maine  two  hundred  and  seventy- 
two  Baptist  churches.  Notwithstanding  the  addition  of  so 
many  new  churches  since  that  time,  the  number  of  Baptist 
churches  in  Maine,  reported  in  the  Minutes  in  1903,  was 
two  hundred  and  forty-six,  a  loss  of  twenty-six  churches. 
But  the  number  of  members  in  these  two  hundred  and 
forty-six  churches  (20,016)  in  1903  was  larger  than  in  the 
two  hundred  and  seventy-two  churches  (19,677)  in  1865. 
The  churches  that  have  disappeared  were  for  the  most 
part  churches  in  rural  communities— churches  which  had 
lost  in  strength  with  the  decline  of  these  communities  and 
in  the  shifting  of  the  population  occasioned  by  the  intro- 
duction of  railroads  and  the  growth  of  towns  and  cities 
along  the  lines  of  railroad  communication.  Such  changes 
will  continue  until  this  shifting  of  the  population,  which 
has  been  in  progress  more  than  a  generation,  is  in  some 
way  arrested.  Meanwhile  we  shall  act  very  unwisely  if 
we  neglect  the  churches  in  our  rural  communities  ;  on  the 
other  hand  we  shall  act  even  more  unwisely  if  we  fail  to 
strengthen  and  render  more  effective  the  churches  in  our 
growing  centers. 


81 


466  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 


A  Glance  Backward  and  Forward. 

It  is  a  record  of  heroic  achievement  which  is  pre- 
sented in  this  history  of  the  Baptists  of  Maine.  From  the 
beginning  obstacles  have  been  encountered,  some  of  them 
exceedingly  formidable,  but  nobly,  successfully  have  they 
been  overcome.  At  the  very  outset  it  looked  like  defeat; 
indeed  it  was  defeat  for  nearly  a  century  after  William 
Screven  and  his  little  company  were  driven  out  of  Kit- 
tery.  In  all  this  time  the  denomination  had  not  even  a 
foothold  in  what  is  now  the  State  of  Maine.  The  law 
was  on  the  side  of  the  oppressors.  But  in  that  one  hun- 
dred years  the  battle  for  religious  liberty,  begun  by  Roger 
Williams,  was  continued  with  never  failing  courage  by 
the  Baptists  of  Massachusetts  and  Rhode  Island.  The 
rights  of  conscience  they  stoutly  asserted,  and  with  ever 
increasing  energy  they  demanded  that  these  rights  should 
be  granted  and  respected. 

But  the  victory  was  not  yet  won.  The  Warren  Associa- 
tion—the first  Baptist  association  in  New  England,  and 
the  second  in  the  country— organized  at  Warren,  R.  I., 
in  1767,  and  with  which  the  Baptist  churches  in  Massa- 
chusetts were  connected,  continued  the  struggle  in  behalf 
of  religious  liberty  in  which  the  fathers  had  been  so  long 
engaged.  At  the  meeting  in  1769,  the  following  action 
was  taken :  "Whereas  complaints  of  oppression  occasioned 
by  a  non-conformity  to  the  religious  establishment  in 
New  England  have  been  brought  to  this  association,  and 
whereas  the  laws  obtained  for  preventing  and  repress- 
ing such  oppressions  have,  upon  trial,  been  found  insuffi- 
cient (either  through  defect  in  the  laws  themselves,  or 
iniquity  in  the  execution  thereof),  and  whereas  humble 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  467 

remonstrances  and  petitions  have  not  been  duly  regarded, 
but  the  same  oppressive  measures  continued :  This  is  to 
inform  all  the  oppressed  Baptists  in  New  England  that 
the  association  of  Warren  (in  conjunction  with  the  West- 
ern or  Philadelphia  Association)  is  determined  to  seek 
remedy  for  these  brethren  when  a  speedy  and  effectual 
one  can  be  had." 

At  the  meeting  of  the  association  in  1770,  it  was  unani- 
mously resolved  to  send  *  'to  the  British  Court  for  help  if 
it  could  not  be  obtained  in  America."  This,  however,  was 
not  found  to  be  necessary.  The  breach  between  the  colo- 
nies and  the  mother  country  was  rapidly  widening,  and  the 
New  England  Baptists  adapted  their  action  to  the  chang- 
ing conditions.  When  a  meeting  of  the  representatives 
of  the  colonies  was  appointed  to  be  held  in  Philadelphia, 
Sept.  5, 1774,  the  Warren  Association  requested  Rev.  Isaac 
Backus  of  Middleborough,  Mass. ,  to  be  present  and  to  call 
the  attention  of  the  Provincial  Congress  to  the  import- 
ance of  securing  for  the  inhabitants  of  the  colonies  reli- 
gious as  well  as  civil  liberty.  With  President  Manning  of 
Rhode  Island  College,  Mr.  Backus  went  to  Philadelphia. 
A  memorial  in  behalf  of  religious  liberty,  in  which  the 
Baptist  position  was  strongly  stated,  was  presented  by 
President  Manning.  The  Adamses  and  other  delegates 
from  Massachusetts  attempted  to  show  that  the  Baptists 
complained  without  reason.  Samuel  Adams  even  inti- 
mated "that  the  complaints  came  from  enthusiasts  who 
made  it  a  merit  to  suffer  persecution."  John  Adams 
insisted  that  one  might  as  well  expect  a  change  in  the 
solar  system  as  that  the  great  Puritan  commonwealth 
would  abolish  its  ecclesiastical  laws.  But  President  Man- 
ning and  Mr.  Backus  produced  the  evidence  upon  which 
the  memorial  was  based,  and  when  the  Congress  met  in 
Cambridge,  in  December,  1774,  the  following  action  was 
taken:  "Resolved,  That  the  establishment  of  civil  and 
religious  liberty,  to  each  denomination  in  the  province, 
is  the  sincere  wish  of  this  Congress.  But  being  by  no 
means  vested  with  powers  of  civil  government  whereby 


468  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

they  can  redress  the  grievances  of  any  person  whatever, 
they  therefore  recommend  to  the  Baptist  churches,  that 
when  a  General  Assembly  shall  be  convened  in  this  col- 
ony, they  lay  the  real  grievances  of  said  churches  before 
the  same,  when  and  where  their  petition  will  most  cer- 
tainly meet  with  all  that  attention  due  to  the  memorial  of 
a  denomination  of  Christians  so  well  disposed  to  the  pub- 
lic weal  of  their  country." 

In  accordance  with  this  action  Mr.  Backus,  with  a  memo- 
rial, in  which  the  Baptist  position  was  stated,  appeared  at 
Watertown,  where  the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts 
met,  Sept.  20,  1775.  In  the  following  years,  as  the  Rev- 
olutionary War  proceeded,  Mr.  Backus  and  his  associates 
lost  no  opportunity  of  presenting  the  principle  of  religious 
liberty.  Near  the  close  of  the  war,  when  the  formation  of 
a  State  constitution  in  Massachusetts  was  under  consider- 
ation, a  slight  concession  to  the  Baptists  was  made  in  the 
Declaration  of  Rights,  but  it  was  very  slight.  In  the  con- 
stitution of  the  United  States,  however,  adopted  after  the 
close  of  the  war,  this  provision  is  found:  "Art.  VI.  No 
religious  test  shall  ever  be  required  as  a  qualification  to 
any  office  or  public  trust  under  the  United  States."  This 
provision  did  not  meet  the  wishes  of  our  Baptist  fathers, 
who  desired  that  the  constitution  should  contain  a  full 
guarantee  of  religious  liberty.  In  the  following  year, 
however,  this  defect  was  remedied  by  an  amendment  to 
the  constitution— the  first  of  all  the  amendments— which 
contained  this  provision:  "Congress  shall  make  no  law 
respecting  an  establishment  of  religion,  or  prohibiting  the 
free  exercise  thereof."  This  amendment  was  adopted  by 
the  several  States,  and  the  Baptist  doctrine  of  soul-liberty 
became  a  part  of  the  organic  law  of  the  new  nation. 

The  adoption  of  this  amendment  to  the  constitution 
of  the  United  States  placed  before  the  pioneer  Baptists 
in  the  District  of  Maine  an  open  door.  The  obstacles 
that  the  earlier  Baptists  in  New  England  had  encoun- 
tered in  the  action  of  the  civil  authorities  were  no  longer 
met,  and  these  pioneers  had  full  liberty  to  make  known 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  469 

in  their  own  way,  and  without  legal  restraints,  the  gospel 
which  they  had  received.  This  was  an  advantage  which 
they  fully  recognized  and  of  which  they  promptly  availed 
themselves. 

They  had  this  advantage,  also,  as  they  entered  upon 
their  work— that  in  a  greater  degree  than  the  ministers  of 
the  Standing  Order  they  possessed  the  evangelistic  spirit 
that  came  into  our  New  England  religious  life  during  the 
Great  Awakening.  Aside  from  Hezekiah  Smith,  these 
men  had  none  of  the  learning  of  the  schools,  but  they 
had  studied  their  English  Bibles,  and  moved  by  the  seek- 
ing, saving  love  of  the  Master  whom  they  served,  they 
could  tell  "the  old,  old  story"  in  such  a  way  as  to  reach 
the  hearts  and  consciences  of  those  to  whom  they  spoke. 
*  'Their  preaching  was  not  in  the  form  of  'learned  essays 
with  a  thin  coating  of  gospel, '  but  the  gospel  itself,  yea, 
the  very  marrow  of  the  gospel.  The  doctrines  of  grace 
were  presented  habitually  with  'boldness  and  a  strong  pos- 
itiveness,'  and  enforced  by  that  old  and  sublime  motive 
power,  'thus  saith  the  Lord.'  Their  appeals  to  the  'law 
and  the  testimony'  as  authority,  instead  of  traditions, 
were  frequent  and  powerful.  Their  convictions  of  truth 
were  strengthened  by  what  they  had  experienced,  and  as 
they  presented  that  truth  it  was  deep,  earnest,  pungent, 
producing  conviction  in  others.  Their  peculiar  views  of 
church  organization,  of  baptism,  of  church  polity,  were 
preached  with  no  spirit  of  timidity  or  apology,  but  as  the 
clear  and  obvious  teaching  of  God's  Word.  .  .  .  And 
God  honored  his  truth,  as  it  was  thus  earnestly,  clearly 
and  boldly  presented,  and  many  became  heirs  of  salvation, 
and  were  added  to  the  church."^ 

Organized  missionary  effort  followed,  and  unquestion- 
ably the  formation  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Soci- 
ety, in  1804,  was  a  source  of  added  strength  to  the  fathers 
in  their  endeavor  to  reach  the  unevangelized  in  the  new 

'  Rev.  W.  H.  Shailer,  D.  D.,  in  historical  discourse  preached  in  Hallowell,  June  20, 
1876,  at  the  fifty-second  anniversary  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Convention  (Min- 
utes for  1876,  p.  94). 


470  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

and  thinly  populated  settlements  of  the  District  of  Maine. 
Later,  in  1824,  followed  the  Maine  Baptist  Convention, 
which  very  soon  developed  into  a  missionary  organization, 
showing  how  strong  still  was  the  evangelistic  spirit  in  the 
men  who  were  at  the  front  in  our  growing  denominational 
work.  And  so  it  has  been  throughout  the  century  of 
organized  missionary  work  which  is  now  complete.  The 
value  of  organization  has  been  fully  recognized,  and  much 
has  been  done  in  the  effort  to  make  the  organization  more 
effective.  Organization  alone,  it  is  understood,  will  not 
accomplish  the  work.  The  gospel,  faithfully,  earnestly 
proclaimed,  in  humble  dependence  upon  the  Holy  Spirit,  is 
still  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation.  In  any  forgetting 
of  the  things  behind,  this  has  not  been  forgotten,  and  the 
evangelistic  spirit  is  still  in  evidence  in  the  churches, 
while  here  and  there  revivals,  not  unlike  in  some  cases 
those  of  the  earlier  time,  bear  witness  to  the  fact  that  the 
day  of  revivals  is  not  past,  and  that  the  churches  may 
still  receive  pentecostal  blessings.  What  is  needed  is  *  'not 
so  much  the  introduction  of  new  methods,  or  new  machin- 
ery, as  the  enlistment  of  the  ordinary  agencies  of  the 
church  in  evangelistic  enterprises."^ 

But  by  evangelism  all  is  not  accomplished  which  the 
gospel  aims  to  accomplish.  It  is  not  enough  that  men 
hear  and  accept  the  message  of  salvation.  Christianity 
means  advancement.  It  leads  along  an  upward  way. 
Very  early  in  the  progress  of  evangelization  in  Maine,  as 
has  been  shown,  there  was  a  call  on  the  part  of  Chris- 
tian people  for  educational  facilities,  and  later  for  better 
educational  facilities,  as  the  needs  were  more  and  more 
clearly  discovered.  The  Baptists  of  the  State  have  had  a 
part,  and  a  most  honorable  part,  in  providing  and  main- 
taining such  facilities,  and  in  our  college  at  Waterville  and 
its  affiliated  academies— Hebron,  Coburn,  Ricker,  Hig- 
gins— we  have  to-day  institutions  of  a  high  rank,  and  an 
educational  system  which  is  widely  commended. 

*  Report  of  the  Board  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Convention,  Minutes  for  1903, 
p.  23. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE.  471 

It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  if  we  are  to  continue  along 
the  path  of  development  which  the  Baptists  of  Maine  have 
hitherto  trod  we  must  remain  evangelistic.  The  great 
truths  held  and  proclaimed  by  the  fathers  must  be  ear- 
nestly and  faithfully  preached,  and  in  demonstration  of 
the  Spirit  and  of  power.  "There  are  diversities  of  gifts, 
but  the  same  Spirit.  And  there  are  diversities  of  minis- 
trations, and  the  same  Lord.  And  there  are  diversities  of 
workings,  but  the  same  God,  who  worketh  all  things  in 
all."  He  works  to-day,  as  he  has  always  worked,  by 
means  of  the  truth.  Let  the  truth  be  boldly,  lovingly 
presented,  and  it  will  be  found,  as  hitherto,  to  be  the 
power  of  God  unto  salvation. 

Our  educational  institutions  still  have  their  needs,  and 
these  they  will  continue  to  have,  we  may  be  sure.  With 
some  at  the  present  time,  these  needs  are  more  pressing 
than  with  others  because  of  their  circumstances.  An 
endowment  that  was  ample  a  generation  ago  will  not  meet 
the  requirements  of  the  present  day.  Moreover,  there 
must  be  constant  additions  to  the  equipment  of  any  insti- 
tution of  learning  which  would  not  be  left  behind  in  the 
progress  of  knowledge.  There  will  therefore  be  new 
demands,  and  they  should  be  as  promptly  and  as  gener- 
ously met  as  in  the  century  now  past. 

That  our  educational  institutions  in  Maine,  as  elsewhere, 
are  not  bringing  forward  young  men  for  the  Christian 
ministry  in  the  same  proportion  as  in  other  days  is  a  mat- 
ter that  calls  for  serious  consideration.  A  trained  min- 
istry is  not  undervalued  by  us.  Much  has  been  done  for 
our  educational  institutions  in  order  that  the  needs  of  our 
churches  seeking  pastors  may  be  properly  and  promptly 
supplied.  Certainly  the  churches  will  do  well  to  give 
increasing  prayerful  attention  to  this  matter.  "Pray  ye 
therefore  the  Lord  of  the  harvest,  that  he  send  forth 
laborers  into  his  harvest." 

The  better  maintenance  of  the  ministry  should  also 
receive  attention.  The  laborer  is  worthy  of  his  hire.  As 
churches,  in  this  respect  it  is  certainly  possible  to  withhold 


472  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

more  than  is  meet,  but  the  withholding,  we  may  be  sure, 
tendeth  to  poverty.  We  should  deal  fairly  with  those  who 
have  been  called  to  preach  the  gospel,  and  those  churches 
which  give  the  support  of  the  ministry  just  consideration, 
we  are  persuaded,  will  not  fail  of  their  reward. 

The  wants  of  the  Sunday-school,  withal,  must  not  be 
overlooked.  It  is  admitted  that  there  has  been  a  gain  in 
Sunday-school  instruction  within  the  past  thirty  or  forty 
years,  but  the  results  have  not  been  as  great  as  those 
most  interested  in  Sunday-school  work  desire  to  secure. 
Certainly  the  churches  cannot  afford  to  be  unmindful  of 
the  importance  of  this  department  of  the  work  of  the 
church.  The  Sunday-school  still  affords  a  field  for  soul- 
winning  and  Christian  nurture  which  should  be  most  dili- 
gently cultivated.  The  best  methods  should  be  adopted 
and  diligently  employed.  In  this  field  of  labor  the  most 
careful,  painstaking  efforts  are  as  full  of  promise  as  the 
most  consecrated  worker  under  the  great  Taskmaster's 
eye  could  possibly  desire. 


APPENDICES. 


474 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 


W 

M 

O 

0 

< 

0 

M 

m 


h 

< 

ffl 


>SS(: 


«0OrJ<t-Ol0Ot~<M00r)<p©'0O«05DC0<-lO 
COOCJ'i'OrHOt'-'M^DOiOO'^O'-IOOVl-© 


rHr1r-I.Hi-IMCO  coco  CO  coco  Tt"CO^<-IC<5(N(N» 


..  a 


.  ,  fl 

P3            C8 

fi 

o 

o      3 

g 

o 

0000C«000OCO0000CX>CO00CO00CO00CCGOCO00a0<»COCOCOCOCO00QOCOC6CO': 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 

lO  I-  O  o  r.  -f  s  — .  rt  fl  -c  n-^  -r  -^  o  -r  'Z-r  -  ,-  ri  o  i- 
Zi':S  :?,z!  T  ^'.z  Z-  ','■  Z  yk'^  rj-:i  ''■>  ~  -■'-'-<■  -r-  <-  t-.  -.s 
^f-  .- i.^-'^»-i.'"".—.'".®^".'71X*^'T.— .— .^- 1  -  *'  -^  "-•  » 
jjTrt  iH*ca"-H"c^'rt'rt*«M  T}rcc"crc^"iH'mM  ^j"cic'r:o'^"co'co 


475 


476 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 


o 
b 

z 

> 

0 

o 

h 

(/) 

Oh 
ffl 

I— I 

< 


aft 


2  ® 


a-  --  ^  :: 


esgw   is 


-   cs: 
W 


t  '-'~^ 


O,  W     C^ 


^  f-4 


<» 

§22" 
-  CO   .o 


iJ-  trs-  -  1^- 


2       o*-.    •1'^ 

03        hi     '  !^i^        ^"aj 


CO  S  ^   » ,  . 

^  ®-  -   3      n 

Oh  S  «      O      ^ 

p^i  :  Qi  I  1^-  -jj-  o- 


^i  ;  ::  I 


3S  t- 
O  e3 


22  (=1  =*'S 

<2  <u  S^^tf^ 


sg-o 


S  2  »  S  - 


5^ 
rt.2 


w  ^    •'d  w  fe  te    '    •    •  S    • 


T)<iraot~QOo»o.-^c<ico'*uocot~oooic>>--ic^cOTt<ioci>t--ooroo>-;e^cOT|<io«Dt;oogj<5sJS3 

OOOOOOOOOOOOaOOOOOOOa>OOCOOOOOOOQOOOQOOOCOCOOOCO<»OOCOGC)OOOOCOQOOOCOOOCOQOCOCO 


HISTORY  OP  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 


477 


05        oJ'-j 


a.  ,  , 


«"  -  g 


•>ea^ .,. 


•  •  '•  s 
3" 


03  !?'      OJ 


o  u 
^_  Moo 

;^*-  Off" 


•-"  i« 

51-1 

O  rt  OJ 


rt 


!i  I   S 


o     » 

3)     a,     2     &     'S  >.     « 


^"  '  ^.  .  ^,  t^'-  W-  H.  'i^^  ^      S^.i  «    '^.  «.  i. .  ri    w 
-d       -^^  '  ->i'  6'  EC"  fa"  ►^ci    S=  -  irJl?    0^"-  -"i"  d"  ^"  '  «•'  d 


O  t^  X 


d  o 


:3  ccco 
S^  3  o  i- 


.    in 

\iA    ■  © 
-    ;  4) 
.  ^ 


l!  2  =  S^ 


rt  rt  ? 


2  =  y:5^s5C' 


-^  y.  J^  a;  K  Sh  ci  as  J  K 


**-  •—  4_,  (^  *-        -I  •- 


fa 

3p! 


;aK 


3  >.5  g-S  5 

o~  ;;  -  D  o 


§3Sto3<oi-t-i-i-i-i-t-t-i-i-o6(»iS5ooo5oco6ococo5SSo(r.  oC5Ci05C>cv5oi  = 

OOOOOOQO<X)ODOOQOCC<X)OOCOOOOOOOOOOOODOOODOOOOo6o60D06aCCC°^OC(X'aoOOaO<X)OOOOCnC^^C^ 


478 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 


MAINE  BAPTIST  EDUCATION   SOCIETY. 


Date. 


President. 


Secretary. 


Treasurer. 


Preacher. 


1819. 
1820. 
1821. 
1822. 
1823. 
1824. 
1825. 
182G. 
1827. 
1828. 
1829. 
1830. 
1831. 
1832. 
1833. 
1234. 
1835. 
18.36. 
1837. 
1838. 
1839. 
1840. 
1841. 
1842. 
1843. 
1844. 
1845. 
1846. 
1847. 
1848. 
1849. 
1850. 
1851. 
1852. 
1853. , 
1854. 
1855. 
1856. 
1857. 
1858. 
1859. 
I860,, 
1861., 
1862. , 
1863. 
1864  , 
1865., 
1866. 
1867., 
1868., 
1869. . 
1870. . 
1871.. 
1872. . 
1873.. 
1874. . 
1875. . 
1876. . 
1877.. 
1878. . 
1879.. 
1880.. 
1881.. 
1882. . 
1883. . 
1884.. 
1885.. 


S.  Boardman T.  B.  Ripley S.  Fogg 

, "  "  "        "       C.Washburn. 


D.Merrill "        "        S.  Chapin 

P.  Pilsbury "         "        "       "        

"         "        D.  Chesman T.  J.  Conant. 

"        "        T.B.Ripley "  " 

Board  o£  Nortlierii  Baptist  Education  Society 


R.  Babcock S.  F.  Smith J.  Fogg 

T.Curtis "       "       B.  Libbey 

R.  B.  Pattison C.Newton "         "      

"  «'         S.  F.  Smith E.  Coburn 

T.  Curtis S.  Adlam W.  R.  Preseott. 

A.  Drink  water "       "      "  " 


D.N.  Sheldon. 


.  F.  Merriam. 
.S.W.  Field. 


"  "         E.H.Gray "  " 

C.B.Davis ,..F.  Merriam "  " 

D.  N.  Slieldon S.  Powers "  " 

"  "         N.M.Wood "  " 

J.  T.  Champlin "  •'      "  " 

"  "  li.  Kingman "  " 

S.  L.  Caldwell K.Brooks "  " 

"         N.M.Wood N.M.Wood 

N.  Butler G.  W.  Bosworth....G.  W.  Bosworth. 

H.V.  Dexter "  "  ...     " 


1.  Lei  and . 
A.  Wilson 


.W.  H.  Shailer. 


F.  Shaw.. 
Wilson. .. 


'  •«  ....    "  "  ....W.  H.  S.  Ventres. 

"  "  ....    "  •'  ....G.  D.  B.  Pepper... 

A.Hart M.  Lyford N.  M.  Williams... 

F.Shaw "        "       G.P.Mathews 

A.  Hart H.  A.  Hart J.  Ricker. 

M.  Emery M.  Lyford. . 

'  •'       S.  K.  Smith 


F.  T.  Hazlewood. . 


H.  B.  Robins H.  Crocker . . 

W.  T.  Chase""..!!!  "         " 

J.  McWhinnie W.  O.  Ayer. 

A.  R.  Crane "         "    . 


S.P.Merrill. 


W.  Tilden. , 
C.  Herrick. 
Bonney . . . 


.E.  S.  Small . 


.W.  O.  Holman.... 

...S.  L.  B.  Chase.... 

...C.  M.  Emery 

...J.  T.  Champlin.... 

...A.  L.  Lane 

...H.  Crocker 

...H.  S.  Barrage 

"  "        I.  Record 

"  "        S.P.Merrill 

"         "        J.  McWhinnie 

•'         "        W.  C.  Barrows 

"  "        F.  W.  Bakeman.. 

"         "  W.  A.  Newcombe. 

W.  H.  Spencer F.  D.  Blake 

"  "        T.F.White 

"  "        E.  S.  Small 

"  "        S.Browne 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 


479 


Date.          President. 

Secretary. 

Treasurer. 

Preacher. 

1886..  P.  Bonney  ...... 

1887    W  S  Roberts 

...C. 

8. 

C. 
E. 

M 

E 

Small 

...W.H.Spe 

ncer... 

.  ..G.D.  B.  Pepper... 
.     H..T   White 

1888.. CM.  Emery 

1889..     "           "       

1890..     "           "      

,i 

Tilley 

Owen 

...C.  C. 'nUey 

1891..T.  F.White 

1892..     "         "       

...C 

...J.  il.  Barrows 

. . .  B.  L.  Whitman.. . . 

1893..H.S.  Barrage.... 
1894..     "            "        

i> 

...J.  M.  Wyman 

i> 

1895.  .J.  H.  Barrows  . . . 

•I 

.  ..F.  M.  Preble 

1896..     "            " 

11 

1897.. F.  M.  Preble 

... 

•• 

.  ..C.  A.  Towne 

1898..     "           "       

(1 

...A.  E.  Kingsley 

...W.  H.  Spencer... 
.  ..E.  C.  Whittemore. 
...C.  K.Flanders.... 

...A.T.  Kingold 

...E.  A.  Davis 

1899.  .T.  J.  Ramsdell. . . 

.'.'.J. 
...C 

(( 

1900..     "            " 
1901.. A.  E.  Kingsley... 
1902.  B.Green 

Wyman 

Owen 

1903.."        "      

"      

...H.R.  H.atch 

480  HISTORY  OP  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 


SUTVIIVIARY 

Of  Convention  Preachers,  Churches,  Ordained  Ministers,  Baptisms,  and 
Members  since  1826. 

Date.  Preachers.  Churclies.       Ministers.        Baptisms.       Members. 

1826 S.  Chapin 520 11,841 

1827 J.  Butler 119 126 900 12,120 

1828 P.  Pilsbiiry 209 128 1,144 13,037 

1829 Kzra  Going 210 136 339 12,936 

1830 T.  B.  Ripley 215 147 831 13,266 

1831 J.  Haynes 220 154 1,482 14,275 

1832 D.Merrill 223 144 1,241 15,055 

1833 James  Gilpatrick 226 141 846 15,432 

1834 Isaac  Merriam 233 159 1,450 16,237 

1835 J.  Ballard 242 157 ■. . . .  16,318 

1836 P.Bond 242 169 16,449 

1837 T.  Curtis 247 173 659 16,965 

1838 D.  Nutter 255 184 2,196 18,878 

1839 C.  Newton 255 183 1,200 19,119 

1840 T.  B.  Robinson 261 181 2,249 20,490 

1841 N .  Colver 266 191 747 20,882 

1842 L.  Colby 282 202 22,213 

1843 Z.  Bradford 281 203 2,003 22,071 

1844 D.N.  Sheldon 295 217 2,464 22,860 

1845 C.  B.  Davis 298 212 313 23,687 

1846 J.  T.  Champlin 300 215 275 22,052 

1847 C.Miller 300 213 208 21,337 

1848 A.  H.  Granger 294 209 261 20,312 

1849 295 203 231 19,957 

1850 E.  H.  Gray 295 200 616 19,850 

1851 A.  Wilson 291 196 .\    803 19,780 

1852 S.  L.  Caldwell 287 206 600 19,709 

1853 J.  Ricker 291 196 738 19,862 

1854 George  Knox 284 215 793 19,837 

1855 C.G.Porter 278 196 1,179 19,762 

1866 W.  H.  Shailer 277 199 835 19,329 

1857 R.  E.Pattison 275 187..., 643 19,402 

1858 Isaac  Sawyer 275 185 756 19,480 

1859  G.  P.  Mathews 278 182 2,455 21,435 

1860 G.  W.  Bosworth 278 182 703 21,380 

1861 1.  J.  Burgess 277 362 20.420 

1862 L.Bradford 276 195 406 20,614 

1863 S.  W.  Avery 278 185 464 20,423 

1864 J.M.Follett 20,174 

1865 Henry  A.  Hart 272 166 429 19,677 

1866 CM.  HeiTing 268 172 704 19,870 

1867 J.  Rounds 267 177 652 19,996 

1868 N.J.Wheeler 269 182 441 19,833 

1869 A.  R.  Crane 263 165 473 19,488 

1870 F.  T.  Hazlewood 265 172 585 19,351 

1871 H.  V.  Dexter 267 178 633 19,593 

1872 E.M.  Haynes 268 172 511 19,511 

1873 G,  W.  Gile 265 177 465 19,245 

1874 G.B.Ilsley 260 166 774 19,303 

1875 H.  E.  Robins 269 162  643 19,490 

1876 R.  R.  Riddell 261 180 903 19,712 

1877 H.  C.  Estes 261 184 1,273 20,523 

1878 C.  F.  Holbrook 261 178 1,040 20,954 

1879 C.  G.  Harwood 263 181 818 21,165 

1880 N.  T.  Dutton 262 176 562 21,013 

1881 W.  H.  Spencer 257 158 291 20,637 

1882 H.  W.Tllden 256 168 311 20,247 

1883 A.  C.  Herrick 252 155 447 20,039 

1884 A.  J.  Padelford 260 150 459 19,942 

1885 G.  E.  Tufts 261 149 440 19,744 

1886 C.E.Owen 247 144 755 19,871 

1887 W.S.Roberts 248 143 429 19,613 

1888 G.B.Titus 244 131 541 19,405 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 


481 


Date. 


Preachers. 


Churches.       Ministers.        Baptisms.       Members. 


.T.  E.  Busfleld 244 

.H.Tilden 249 

.0.  V.  Hanson 250 

C.  E.  Young 252 

.E.  C.  Whittemore 245 

.T.  S.  Samson 244 

..T.  A.  Ford 245 

.W.  S.  Ayres 251 

..).  H.  Parshley 248 

.T.  J.  Ramsdell 250 

.11.  W.  Van  Kirk 249 166 346 20,051 

.1.  B.Mower 245 151 640 19,829 

.  H.  L.  Caulkins 245 158 516 20,018 

..I.  K.  Wilson 242 154 637 20,160 

.  A .  K.  Lorimer 246 147 455. 20,016 


1889 

1890 

1891 

1892 

1893 

1894 

1895 

1896 

1897 

1898 

1899 

1900 

1901 

1902 

1903 


.144. 
.161. 
.140. 
.145. 
.145. 
.146. 
.147. 
.150. 
.153. 
.151. 


.    712 19,448 

.    477 19,271 

.    534 19,209 

.    544 18,732 

.    651 18,422 

.    824 18,806 

.1,254 19,635 

.    864 20,355 

648 20,392 

618 20,330 


CONTRIBUTIONS  RECEIVED 

By  American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society,  from  Churches 
AND  Individuals  in  Maine,  from  1832  to  1904. 


1832-1842, 

$  2,510.00 

1891-1892, 

$2,040.91 

1842-1852, 

801.00 

1892-1893, 

4,405.28 

1852-1862, 

1,396.00 

1893-1894, 

2,622.99 

1862-1872, 1 

1894-1895, 

2,633.89 

1872-1882, 

24,027.51 

1895-1896, 

5,022.90 

1882-1883, 

1,272.31 

1896-1897, 

3,198.90 

1883-1884, 

1,692.62 

1897-1898, 

3,118.72 

1884-1885, 

2,095.68 

1898-1899, 

4,812.33 

1885-1886, 

4,703.89 

1899-1900, 

2,247.85 

1886-1887, 

29,517.12 

1900-1901, 

3,088.03 

1887-1888, 

215,503.79  2 

1901-1902, 

2,766.50 

1888-1889, 

23,968.33 

1902-1903, 

5,073.74 

1889-1890, 

2,086.35 

1903-1904, 

2,631.67 

1890-1891, 

2,375.77 

'  No  contributions  from  Maine  are  reported  by  the  Society  in  this  decade. 
'  Bequests  of  Gov.  Cobum  included. 


82 


482 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 


eoini(Ni-iooooeoc-T-i;D 

■^ 

J 

(MCOlOCOC-(JiC-t-Oi-l 

00 

< 

O 

C0O-^C0'<*>-t05iHC£it- 

o 

t-cooooot-c--<*cooot-H 

CO 

c-5c<x>u:)-^^-^-*ooc£) 

o 

69- 

CD 

a  . 

0(M00m        OOOTl^CO 

ooooot-      oeoooa 

■S  s;  <u 

u:)0-<*u:)0i      coiMysm 

O  C.O 

rH  ■>:»<  US  CO  CO        COt-COOO 

T-(         T-H  tH  tH 

M 

6(9- 

^t 

o       t- 

IX>         05 

3.2 

t>     o 

PQ  o 

r}<        "^ 

w 

€^ 

g 

U3        O  O  Oi  lO  t- O 

as      T-H  th  CO  00 -^ -^ 

3  o 

(MUtKMOS 

DM 

1-1 

fu 

€«■ 

<u  S  >^ 

Tl<-^t-(Mrt<T-ieOlO«DrH 

0000-^C£>(N-^C-^Oi(M 

"§^ 

oos-^ooc-iMooi-dnoi 

(Mi-ieOrHi-l'^lfiCOOOlO 

««& 

u 

o  (M  en  i-H  o  <M  1-1      cot- 

C^  CO -^  lO  1-H  i-H  U3         CD  lO 

cS  01 

u'o 

,-1  5D  t- OT  CO  T}<  (M        eO(M 

5  o 

rHi-liH         .-KMCO         (MtH 

Sm 

W 

6©- 

Woman's 
Home 

Mission 
Society. 

OOOOON 

Oioooooeo 

Cvl  05  i-H  Oi  <M  ^-J 

(M          1— 1  T-l  Tl<  'H 

OS- 

men's 
reign 
ionary 
:iety. 

o«r>t-co<xiooo'^(M 

eo-^i-HOOoot-icoit-ico 

OiOO-^i— lOOt-COC-i— ((M 

^P  m  O 

t>050COU300005COC£> 

^^gc,. 

rH  tH                tH         i-H 

€«■ 

>> 

^^     . 

i-Hi-tt-oooooimococD 

S  o 

in>oooooo<Moa-^Oit- 

•s'S 

OiTf^CvIr-(CD'*'Xl00t>- 

s5 

COU3t-05"5lO{OU3000 

&S- 

S 

>.c 

aine 
ptist 
ionar 
entio 

OOOOOUtlirjC-Uti-^lOTH 
t-THOOOt-OSt-Ot-t^ 

■«a<ot>co»-ioa3«o(M-* 

^m 

^^  C<li-llH(MrHT-(COC<J 

OOOlOi-KMCOTflCCDC- 

t-c-0000000000000000 

oooooooooooooooooooo 

1 

OS»-H(MCOOCD«00»i-IOS 
OlOSiOOO'^OrHOOCD 

■^w«DOii-ieooooooi-i 

<MO(Na500-<*iOOOCO 

05  c<i  o  o  CO  ut  00  00 1-1  •>* 

i-ri-ri-rrHrHrHT-r(M''rH 
€©- 

05 

in 

i 

of 

"go 

PQ 

i-(CT5iM«DOT(;0500St- 
t-05CDOi-l(N0500I>eO 

t-Tj<U5CD00  0005i-IO 

rHOsiniiocoooasioeo 

(M        i-l  i-l  CO  •>*  Tt  CD  lO  N 

S.2 
«  o 

§ . 

S.a; 

■5ra 

Oh 

(Mi-IC-OC000OCD00a> 

icoooi-it-c-t>eoc- 

OCDt-<MCD0000(Mr}iCD 

00(Ni— li— li— I00005i-ll> 

rH  i-l  rH  1—1  »H                iH 

■Si 

§<2 

•^t-oc-oseooiTtmoo 

COOi05t>U3rHTHt>00 

-<*c<ia>00i-iO5C-cococD 

tH(MtH(M(Mi-(i-I-^M'<M 

Woman's 

Home 

Mission 

Society. 

00(MCOCO(7>-<*t~00-^t- 

OJOOOt-t-councDC-oi 
cou:)-<a<cocooTt<t-ocg 

t-OiC-CDrHCOCOOlCOW 
iH  tH  iH  iH  CO  <M 
€«- 

Women's 
Foreign 

Missionary 
Society. 

TtOCOCDCDO>t>00(Mi-l 
iHUTJt-COC-iHCOCvJ-^t- 

t-inCOIMOCOOOCOrHC- 

iHCMososoeoojuncDC^j 

rH  tH                iH  iH         iH  tH  iH 

Si -2 

ootr-usmoiooooaj-^ini 

CO(MOSt-CD(N(MCD00CO 

OOrHOOOOt-OlOOllOO 
OCDCO-rfUtlt-CDCDUtiCO 

|l 

tnt3 

s 

OiCyilOrH0005^T}<Ot- 
(MCDt-.HCOOikCCOTj<C- 

t-OiOCvIOSmOOrHOiCO 

oioo-^t-t-coc^iaicDO 
rHCO(M(M(Moocvicoeoeo 

Maine 

Baptist 

Missionary 

Convention. 

05CDt-00«DiHiHO05in> 
CDCD-^OOli— IIOC-COCD 

lOOiCDCDiHl/^COCvJiHO 
iHOOOOOJCO-^CDlOOOrH 
iH>HTH(M(M(NrH.HCOeO 

00(3iOTH(MCO-«J<lCICDt- 
OOOOCSGSCSCSCiO^CiOS 
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 

HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  MAINE. 


483 


J 
< 

s 
?1 

CO  t- 0  CO -*  «£> 
«3 -^  (M  1-1  Tf  tr- 
ee 05  00  CCi  <Xi  03 
00  00  CJ 't  .-1  00 

55  0  ec  0  c<]  .-1 

05 

«»■ 

Vk 

Other 

Benevolent 

Objects. 

lOOiiMOit^O 
W  <X>  t- 00  C£>  CO 

00  0 1-<  eg  <£>  t- 
eoeooico— 100 

CO  (N -^  i-H  00  rH 

3.2 

CO 

c 

o    . 

CO  00  (M  cr>  ^  <x> 

lO-^OSfM  t— CD 

locnovn-^o 

<£>  ■*  CO  10  ■<*  Tj< 

Education 
Society. 

rH  T-H  00  T-(  00  Oi 
(M  i-M  i-H  i-H  i-H 
»3- 

Woman's 
Home 
Mission 
Society. 

0  .-1  -^  C-  iM  0 

t- Oi  t>» -*  00  00 

CO  <X)  00  0  05  t^ 

in  05 10  10  00  1— 1 
T— 1      I— 1 1— 1 T-H  1— 1 

6«9- 

Women's 

Foreigm 

Missionary 

Society. 

inOCDlOOCC 
OCO-^OC^JOO 

00  '^rc-cDoos 

rH  T—l  I— 1  1—1  i—(  I— 1 

Em  m 
0.2  0 

eg  t~  (M  CO  eg  ■>* 

■^  I-H  C-  l^  r-l  CO 

C^  T}<  0>  i-H  10  00 

r-l  Oi  l--  t-  0  00 
rH                        rH 

u 

05  00  C^J  rH  CO  0^ 

00  eg  1-t .-(  00  T}< 

i-(  10  Tft  0  CVJ  CO 

c-  w  00  05  c-o  »H 
eg  T-t  rH  r— I ,-(  eg 

iviaiiie 

Baptist 

Missionary 

Convention. 

00  t-H  00  00  eo  10 

0  0>  0  l-t  rH  t^ 

U3  05  t^  10  00  .H 

00  05  0  rH  ei  CO 
05  0500  0  0 
00  00  05  05  05  05 
I— 1  lH  I— 1  ,— (  tH  1— ( 

I  N  D  EX. 


Academies     in     affiliation     with 

Colby  College,  421-440. 
Academies  in  Maine  before  1800, 

162. 
Acton  Baptist  church,  46. 
Adams,  John  and  Samuel,  oppose 

religious  liberty,  467. 
Adams,  Rev.  Joseph,  128. 
Adlam,  Rev.  S.,  313,  316,  317. 
Adventism  in  Maine,  197-201. 
Alabama  Baptist  State  Conven- 
tion, 318. 
Albion  Baptist  church,  142. 
Allen,  Rev.  Amos,  157,  240. 
Allen,  Rev.  Lorenzo  B.,  113,  215, 

233,  249,  313,  321,  390,  427. 
Allen,  Richard,  157. 
Allen,  Rev.  William,  113, 124, 128, 

241. 
Allen,  Rev.  Dr.  William,  270. 
American    Baptist    Anti-Slavery 

Convention,  312. 
American  Baptist  Home  Mission 

Society,  317. 
American      Baptist     Missionary 

Union,  319. 
American  Baptist  Missionary  Un- 
ion contributions  from  Maine, 

385,  390,  395. 
American      Baptist     Publication 

Society,  280. 
American  Baptist  Publication  and 

Sunday  School  Society,  280,  281. 
American  Bible  Class  Society,  272. 
American   Colonization   Journal, 

304. 
American   Colonization    Society, 

303. 
American  Sunday  School  Union, 

270. 
Anderson,  David,  423. 
Anderson,  Gov.,  296. 
Anderson,   President  Martin  B., 

213. 
Anderson,  Nancy,  423. 
Anti-slavery  agitation,  303-327. 


Appleton,  Gen.,  294,  296. 
Aroostook  Association  organized, 

455. 
Ashmore,  Rev.  Dr.  William,  450. 
Asplund's  Register,  75. 
Associations  in  Maine  in  1825,  161. 
Associations  in  Maine  in  1865,  204. 
Associational    lines    rearranged, 

454. 
Augusta  Baptist  church,  314. 
Augfusta  Second  Baptist  church, 

315. 
Avery,  Rev.  S.  W.,  238. 
Ayer,  Emily  C,  418. 
Ayer,  Rev.  W.  0.,  366. 


Babcock,   Rev.   Dr.    Rufus,   Jr., 

210,  211,  212,  279. 
Backus'  History  of  the  Baptists 

of  New  England,  13. 
Backus,  Rev.  Isaac,  16,  17,  31,  32, 

37,  40,  52,  65,  66,  67,  75,  467,  468. 
Bailey,  Rev.  Joseph,  102,  168, 169, 

261. 
Bakeman,  Rev.  Dr.  F.  W.,  218. 
Baker,  Rev.  Samuel,  168,169, 182. 
Baldwin,  Rev.  Dr.    Thomas,    78, 

128,  144,  145,  146,  151,  171,  178, 
179,  183. 

Ballou,  Rev.  Hosea,  134. 
Ballston  Baptist  church,   90,  91, 

129,  142,  148. 

Bangor  First  Baptist  church,  160. 

Bangor  Second  church  semi-cen- 
tennial, 463. 

Baptist  free  bed  in  Maine  Gen- 
eral Hospital,  447. 

Baptist  General  Tract  Society, 
280. 

Baptist  ministers  in  Maine  before 
1800  who  were  college  grad- 
uates, 147. 

Baptist  Society  for  Propagating 
the  Gospel  in  India  organized  in 
Boston  in  1813,  179. 


INDEX. 


485 


Baptists  of  Maine  and  home  mis- 
sions, 406. 
Baptists   and   the   Revolutionary 

War,  44-46. 
Barnes,  Rev.  Daniel  H.,  205,  208. 
Barrows,  Rev.  Allen,  399,  425. 
Barrows,  Anna,  426. 
Barrows,  Hon.  Geo.  B.,  425. 
Barrows,  Rev.  J.  H.,  103,  463. 
Barrows,  Joseph,  164. 
Barrows,  Miss  Sarah  B.,  399,  425. 
Barrows,  Dea.  William,  162,  163, 

164,  166,  425,  426. 
Barrows,  Rev.  William  C,  329, 
Barrows,  Hon.  William  G. ,  164. 
Batchelder,  Rev.  William,  84,  109, 

134,  135. 
Bath  Baptist  church,  150,  152,  215. 
Baxter,  Hon.  James  P.,  5,  6,  7,  8, 

15. 
Beck,  Dea.  Thomas,  168. 
Beede,  Dr.  J.  W.,  384. 
Belfast  Baptist  church,  148. 
Belgrade  Baptist  church,  140. 
Benedict,  Rev.  Daniel,  76,  132. 
Benevolent  Society  for  the  State 

suggested,  194. 
Bethel  Baptist  church,  139,  140. 
Berwick  Baptist    church,   32,  33, 

34,    35,    75,    76,    133,    135,    136, 

140. 
Berwick  Second   Congregational 

church,  34,  35,  43. 
Besse,  Rev.  S.,  236. 
Biblical  professorship    in    Colby 

University,  362,  363. 
Bickford,  Prof.  Calvin,  436. 
Bickford,  Daniel,  240. 
Billings,  Rev.  Oliver,  95, 117, 118, 

119,  158,  167. 
Bixby,  Rev.  D.  C,  349. 
Blake,  Rev.  F.  D.,  357. 
Blood,  Rev.  Caleb,  149,  167,  168. 
Bloomfield  Baptist  church,  157. 
Bluehill  Baptist  church,  147,  152. 
Boardman,   Rev.   George    Dana, 

183,  184,  185,  186,  187,  199,  206, 

257,  287,  385,  386,  393,  461. 
Boardman,     Rev.      Dr.      George 

Dana,  199,  461,  462. 
Boardman,    Rev.    Sylvanus,    112, 

117,  118,  119,  121,  124,  128,  130, 

152,  167,  168,  180,  190,  191.  199, 

200,  206,  239,  242,  243,  287,  393, 

409,  461. 
Bolles,  Rev.  Lucius,  178. 
Bond,  Henry,  422. 
Bonney,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  H.,  419. 


Bonney,  Hon.  Percival,  164,  165, 
347,  382,  383,  422,  423,  424,  425, 
438,  443. 

Boston  Baptist  Social  Union,  352. 

Boston  First  Baptist  church,  12, 
13,  16,  20,  21,  22,  25,  26. 

Boston  Second  Baptist  church,  78. 

Bosworth,  Rev.  Dr.  George  W., 
235,  236,  356,  365,  366. 

Boutelle,  George  K.,  383,  384. 

Boutelle,  Hon.  Timothy,  427,  428. 

Bowdoin  Baptist  church,  90,  140, 
152. 

Bowdoinham,  66,  71,  142. 

Bowdoinham  Association,  86,  91, 
93,  94,  95. 

Bowdoinham  Association  organ- 
ized, 87. 

Bowdoinham  Association,  Sum- 
mary of  Doctrines,  88,  100. 

Bowdoinham  Association,  Rules  of 
Procedure,  89. 

Bowdoinham  Association  and  anti- 
slavery,  307. 

Bowdoinham  Baptist  church,  87, 
168. 

Bowdoinham  Baptist  Education 
Society,  251. 

Bowler,  Rev.  J.  R.,  331,  335,  337. 

Bowler,  Rev.  William,  261. 

Boynton,  Nehemiah,  249. 

Bradbury,  Charles,  15. 

Bradbury,  James  T.,  429. 

Bradford,  Rev.  Z.,  314. 

Brentwood  Conference,  75. 

Brentwood  (N.  H.)  church,  75,  76, 
78. 

Bright,  Rev.  Dr.  Edward,  388,  393. 

Briggs,  Prof.  Avery,  205,  206,  221, 
222,  257,  275. 

Briggs,  A.  H.,  436. 

Briggs,  Dr.  Charles  A. ,  16,  17. 

Briggs,  Rev.  O.,  182,  435. 

Broeck,  Rev.  P.  S.  Ten,  270. 

Brooks,  Erastus,  260. 

Brooks,  Mrs.  Fidelia  Cobum,  316, 
388,  409,  410,  411,  412,  416. 

Brooks,  Hon.  James,  210. 

Brooks,  Preston  S.,  323. 

Brown,  Ida  J.,  418. 

Brown,  John  B.,  422. 

Brown,  Samuel,  74. 

Brunswick  Baptist  church,  152, 
461. 

Brunswick,  East,  69. 

Bryant,  Rev.  Judson  B.,  98,  462. 

Buckfield  Baptist  church,  91,  139, 
140. 


486 


INDEX. 


Bucksport  Baptist  church,  148. 

BuUard,  Rev.  Asa,  274. 

Bunker,  Rev.  Dr.  Alonzo,  396,  397. 

Burbank,  Moses,  427. 

Burleigh,  John,  256. 

Bullen,  Rev.  Dr.  George,  462. 

Burrage,  Rev.  Dr.  Henry  S.,  266, 

336,  347,  384,  426,  443,  448,  457. 
Burton,  Thomas,  makes  a  bequest 

to  the  Maine  Baptist  Missionary 

Society,  234. 
Butler,  Rev.  John,  273,  307,  310. 
Butler,  Rev.  Dr.  N.,  215,  235,  237, 

238,  322,  356,  428. 
Butler,  President  N.,  379,  380,  381. 
Buxton   Center   Baptist   church, 

133,  135. 
Buzzell,  Rev.  John,  47. 

C 

Cain,  Rev.  Mephibosheth,  102. 

Caldicott,  Rev.  T.  F.,  253,  254. 

Caldwell,  Rev.  Dr.  S.  L.,  213,  234, 
254,  280,  320,  322,  323,  358,  436. 

Cambridge  Baptist  church,  141. 

Camden  Baptist  church,  147. 

Campbell,  James,  169. 

Canaan  Baptist  church,  139,  140. 

Carmel  Baptist  church,  147. 

Case,  Rev.  Isaac,  66,  67,  68,  69, 
70,  71,  72,  73,  74,  82,  84,  86,  87, 
90,  91,  94,  95,  96,  100,  101,  103, 
105,  107,  108,  110,  111,  112,  113, 
114,  117,  118,  119,  120,  121,  122, 
123,  124,  125,  126,  128,  129,  130, 
131,  132,  137,  138,  139,  146,  153, 
158,  224,  225,  406,  447,  448. 

Case,  Rev.  John  E.,  402. 

Cary,  Dr.  Luther,  163. 

Carey,  Rev.  William,  176, 177, 178. 

Chace,  George  I.,  427. 

Chadboum,  Rev.  Levi,  82, 

Chadwick,  Rev.  Job,  102. 

Champernowne,  Capt.  Francis,  26. 

Champlin,  President  James  T., 
140,  169,  170,  174,  175,  197,  205, 

207,  208,  215,  216,  217,  218,  219, 
320,  365,  368,  369,  370,  371,  372, 
378,  421,  422,  429,  443. 

Chandler,  Dea.  Benjamin,  274. 
Chapin,  Rev.  Stephen,    155,    156, 

158,  205,  220,  221,  465. 
Chaplin,  President  Jeremiah,  171, 

172,  173,  174,  186,  205,  206,  207, 

208,  209,  210,  217,  222,  239,  240, 
241,  242,  244,  270,  273,  406,  427. 

Chaplin,  Prof.  John  O'B.,  206,  209. 


Chase,  Rev.  Noah,  171. 

Charleston  Academy,  434-437. 

Charleston  First  Baptist  church, 
24,  25. 

Cherryfield  Baptist  church  centen- 
nial, 463. 

Chessman,  Rev.  Daniel,  221,  257, 
269,  272,  273. 

China  Baptist  church,  102,  139, 
142. 

Chism,  Rev.  S.,  197,  237. 

Choules,  Rev.  John  O.,  211. 

Christian  Mirror,  256,  312. 

Christian  Watchman,  155,  243,  257. 

Church  discipline  not  employed 
with  reference  to  early  Free- 
will Baptists,  53. 

Churchwood,  Humphrey,  12,  13, 
15,  16. 

Civil  War,  effect  on  churches  in 
Maine,  203,  204. 

Claflin,  Mrs.  Belle  Grover,  403. 

Clark,  Rev.  Ephraim,  30. 

Clark,  Dea.  Royal,  307. 

Clarke,  Rev.  Ivory,  387,  388. 

Clarke,  Mrs.  Lois  G.,  387,  388. 

Clergymen  in  the  lead  in  temper- 
ance reform,  288. 

CHnton  Baptist  church,  102,  140. 

Clough,  Rev.  Dr.  John  E.,  389, 
404. 

Cobb,  Rev.  Allen  H.,  270. 

Cobum,  Gov.  Abner,  294,  333,  338, 
339,  340,  342,  371,  374,  409,  416, 
421,  423,  430,  446,  447. 

Cobum,  Charles  M.,  431. 

Cobum  Classical  Institute,  427- 
431. 

Cobum,  Eleazer,  446. 

Cobum,  Fidelia,  316,  409. 

Cobum,  Louise  H.,  431.    ' 

Coburn,  Hon.  Stephen,  430. 

Cochrane,  Rev.  Henry  P.,  403. 

Cochrane,  Rev.  James  E.,  402. 

Cochrane,  Rev.  W.  W.,  403. 

Colby  College,  368-384. 

Colby  College,  so  named,  381. 

Colby,  Gardner,  217,  218,  219,  368, 
369,  371,  373. 

Colby,  Rev.  Dr.  Henry  F.,  217, 
218 

Colby,  Rev.  Lewis,  264. 

Colcord,  J.  W.,  265. 

Cole,  Rev.  S.,  322. 

Colman,  Rev.  James,  171,  183. 

Columbia  Baptist  church,  147. 

Columbian  College,  205. 

Colver,  Rev.  Nathaniel,  317. 


INDEX. 


487 


Communion  and  unbaptized  per- 
sons, 89. 

Communion  question  in  early 
Freewill  Baptist  churches,  57, 
90. 

Conant,  Prof.  T.  J.,  209,  356. 

Cone,  Rev.  Spencer  H. ,  317. 

Confession,  London,  21. 

Congregational  way  takes  the 
place  of  Episcopacy,  11. 

Constitutional  amendment  for 
prohibition,  301. 

Constitutional  amendment  grant- 
ing religious  liberty  to  the  peo- 
ple of  the  United  States,  468. 

Continental  Congress  and  religi- 
ous liberty,  467,  468. 

Contributions  of  Maine  Baptist 
churches  for  foreign  missions 
from  1874,  404,  405. 

Converse,  Rev.  Josiah,  131. 

Cook,  Dea.  Josiah  W.,  424. 

Co-ordination  at  Colby,  376. 

Corey,  Mrs.  H.  Y.,  404. 

Cornell,  Rev.  Joseph,  110. 

Cornish  Baptist  church,  79,  80,  81, 
179. 

Cornish,  Leslie  C,  Esq.,  384, 
431. 

Comville  Baptist  church,  141. 

Corresponding  Letter  discontin- 
ued in  Bowdoinham  Associa- 
tion, 141. 

Covenant  of  New  Durham  (N.  H.) 
church,  55. 

Cox,  Ebenezer,  98. 

Coxhall  (Lyman),  40,  76,  77,  79. 

Craigie,  Andrew,  165. 

Crane,  Rev.  Dr.  A.  R.,  422,  423. 

Cressy,  Rev.  E.  W.,  313,  316. 

Crocker,  Rev.  Henry,  366. 

Crockett,  Rev.  John,  82. 

Cromwell,  Oliver,  910. 

Crosby,  Gov.,  299. 

Cumberland  Association  organ- 
ized, 149. 

Cumberland  Association  disbands 
and  Saco  River  Association 
takes  its  name,  455,  456. 

Cummings,  Rev.  Abraham,  103, 
146,  147. 

Cummings,  Rev.  Asa,  270,  312, 
385. 

Cummings,  Rev.  C.  S.,  457. 

Cummings,  Rev.  Ephraim,  387. 

Cummings,  Rev.  ^ohn  E.,  403. 

Cummings,  Miss  Sarah,  385,  386, 
387. 


Curtis,  Rev.  Arthur  H.,  404. 
Curtis,  Rev.  N.  D.,  337,  338. 
Curtis,  Miss  Sarah,  398. 
Gushing  Baptist  church,  96,  98. 
Gushman,  Bezaleel,  164. 
Cutter,  William,  270. 
Gutts,  Bridget,  14,  20,  26,  27. 
Cutts,  John,  14. 
Gutts,  Robert,  14,  26. 

D 

Daggett,  Rev.  John,  181,  239. 

Dalton,  Asa,  256. 

Damariscotta  Association  organ- 
ized, 201. 

Damariscotta  Association  semi- 
centennial, 461. 

Damariscotta  Baptist  Benevolent 
Society,  202. 

Damariscotta,  Rev.  Isaac  Case 
preached  at,  72. 

Davenport,  Jona,  316. 

Davis,  Rev.  G.  B.,  417. 

Davis,  Rev.  E.  A.,  240,  450. 

Davis,  Rev.  Nehemiah,  46,  77. 

Day,  Charles,  259. 

Dean,  Rev.  Dr.  William,  389. 

Dearing,  Rev.  Dr.  J.  L.,  398,  403. 

Deerfield  (N.  H.)  Baptist  church, 
78. 

Deer  Isle  Baptist  church,  147. 

Dennett,  Moses,  169. 

Denmark  Baptist  church,  141. 

Dexter,  Rev.  Dr.  H.  V.,  215, 
236. 

Dickerson,  Judge,  432. 

Dighton  Baptist  church,  66,  67. 

Discipline  in  the  Sanford  church, 
41,  42. 

District  of  Maine,  why  so  desig- 
nated, 64. 

Dixmont  Baptist  church,  148. 

Doctrinal  beliefs  among  Baptists 
in  the  last  quarter  of  the  18th 
century,  52. 

Dole,  Dea.  Eben,  304. 

Dow,  Neal,  286,  287,  288,  291,  293, 
294,  296,  297,  299. 

Draper,  B.  H.,  177. 

Drinkwater,  Rev.  A.,  153,  239, 
252,  305,  307. 

Drummond,  Hon.  Josiah  H.,  382. 

Dunbar,  Rev.  Duncan,  224. 

Dunbar,  Rev.  M.,  335,  337. 

Dunham,  Edward  S.,  424. 

Dunn,  Rev.  Dr.  A.  T.,  343,  345, 
347,  349,  350,  353,  354,  384,  438, 
459,  462,  464. 


INDEX. 


Bunnell,  Hon.  Mark  H.,  422,  425. 
Button,  Rev.  N.  T.,  381,  382. 

E 

Eames,  Benjamin,  130. 

Eastern  Baptist,  262,  263. 

Eastern  Maine  Association  or- 
ganized, 153. 

Eastern  Maine  Association  dis- 
solved, 195. 

Eastern  Maine  Association  and 
anti-slavery,  306. 

Eaton,  Hon.  John,  373. 

Eaton,  Rev.  Joseph,  85. 

Eaton,  Joshua,  43. 

Eaton,  Rev.  Samuel,  70. 

Eastport  Baptist  church,  132. 

Edes,  Peter,  123. 

Educational  Beginnings,   162-175. 

Education  Society  in  Sedgwick, 
240. 

Elder,  Rev.  Dr.  Joseph  F.,  422. 

Elder,  Mr.  J.  G.,  463. 

Elwin,  Miss  Julia  H.,  402. 

Emancipation  proclamation,  327. 

Embargo  act  and  its  effect  in 
Maine,  149. 

Emerson,  Alice  M. ,  419. 

Emerson,  Rev.  Mr.,  Congrega- 
tional pastor  at  Georgetown, 
70,  71. 

Emery,  Rev.  C.  M.,  366,  423,  424. 

Emery,  George  F.,  236,  425,  443. 

Emery,  John,  37. 

Emery,  Joshua,  34,  35,  36,  43. 

Emery,  Hon.  Mark  P.,  135. 

Emery,  Stephen,  166. 

Emmons,  Rev.  Dr.  Nathanial,  205. 

Episcopal  character  of  Popham 
colony,  2. 

Episcopal  efforts  in  the  Province 
of  Maine,  4-10. 

Estes,  Rev.  Dr.  H.  C,  92,  93,  101, 
103,  274,  461. 

Egtes,  Rev.  Sumner,  425,  463. 

Evangelism  still  needed,  470,  471. 

Evans,  Rev.  W.  H.,  238. 

Eveleth,  Rev.  Dr.  F.  H.,  387,  400. 

Eveleth,  Rev.  J.  F.,  400. 

Everts,  Rev.  W.  W.,  Jr.,  135. 

F 

Fairbanks,  Rev.  George  G.,  422. 
Farmington  Baptist  cnurch,  103, 

140. 
Fay,  President  Eliphaz,  214. 
Fayette  Baptist  church,  93,  104, 

140,  141,  152. 


Female  Mite  Society,  Sedgwick, 
1816,  180. 

Fessenden,  Gen.  Samuel,  294. 

Fessenden,  Hon.  William  Pitt,  422. 

Field,  Rev.  Dr.  S.  M.,  385. 

Fittz,  Rev.  H.,  237. 

Fitz,  Hon.  E.  C,  423. 

Flagg,  Rev.  Samuel,  91,  93. 

Flanders,  Rev.  Abner,  134. 

Fletcher,  Rev.  Edwin  N.,  404. 

Follett,  Rev.  J.  M.,  215,  330. 

Folsom,  George,  9. 

Fogg,  Rev.  Samuel,  225,  226,  247, 
292  313. 

Ford,'  Daniel  Sharp,  351,  352. 

Ford,  Rev.  J.  A.,  97. 

Foreign  missionary  work,  its  be- 
ginnings in  Maine,  176-187. 

Foreign  missions,  increasing  in- 
terest in,  385-405. 

Foss,  E.  N.,  426. 

Foss,  H.  W.,  439. 

Foster,  Prof.  John  B.,  265,  329, 
347,  348. 

Foster,  Rev.  Dr.  John  M.,  403. 

Francis,  Rev.  Thomas,  105,  124, 
130,  137,  167,  169,  181,  239,  257. 

Frankfort  Baptist  church,  147. 

Eraser,  John  F.,  259. 

Freedom  Baptist  church,  142. 

Freeman,  Rev.  Enoch  W. ,  184. 

Freeport  Baptist  church,  141. 

Free  street  Baptist  church,  Port- 
land, 196,  264. 

Freewill  Baptist  movement,  47-61. 

Freewill  Baptists,  why  so  desig- 
nated, 58. 

Friendship  Baptist  church,  138, 
142. 

Fryeburg  Baptist  church,  79. 

Fugitive  slave  law,  321,  327. 

Fuller,  Rev.  Andrew,  influence  of 
his  views  in  modifying  the 
views  of  the  Baptists  of  New 
England,  60. 

Fuller,  Rev.  Andrew,  minister  in 

Fuller,  Rev.'  Dr.  Richard,  317. 
Fuller,  Hon.  R.  0.,  415. 


G 

Gale,  Evangelist  H.  L.,  351. 
Galusha,  Rev.  Elon,  271,  407. 
Garcelon,  James,  158. 
Gardiner,  R.  H.,  171,  270. 
General  Court  of  Massachusetts, 
gift  to  Hebron  Academy,  165. 


INDEX. 


489 


General  Court  of  Massachusetts 
in  1813  grants  a  charter  for  a 
Literary  and  Theological  Insti- 
tution in  the  District  of  Maine, 
168,  169. 

General  Missionary  Convention  of 
the  Baptist  denomination  in  U. 
S.  for  foreign  missions  organ- 
ized in  1814,  180. 

Gibson,  Rev.  Richard,  5,  6. 

Giddings,  Moses,  236,  238,  332,  434. 

Gilbert,  Sir  Humphrey,  3,  27. 

Gilbert,  Raleigh,  3. 

Gilmanton,  (N.  H.)  Baptist 
church,  76,  78. 

Gilpatrick,  Rev.  James,  252,  312, 
313,  316,  320,  322. 

Coding,  Rev.  William,  117,  118. 

Going,  Ezra,  224,  226. 

Goold,  Hon.  William,  260. 

Goon,  Moung  Shway,  387. 

Gorges,  Robert,  4,  5. 

Gorges,  Sir  Ferdinando,  3,  4,  5,  6, 
7,  8,  11. 

Gorges,  WilHam,  7,  18. 

Gorham  Baptist  church,  31,  38,  39. 

Gospel  Mission,  104,  108,  111. 

Gould,  Rev.  Nehemiah,  91,  102, 
127. 

Gould,  Miss  Orissa  W.,  404. 

Cow,  Rev.  Dr.  George  B.,  429,  430. 

Cow,  Dea.  James,  304. 

Gowen,  John,  36. 

Gowen,  Rev.  H.  B.,  322. 

Grant,  Rev.  W.  O.,  90,  246,  261, 
295. 

Granville  St.  Baptist  church,  Hal- 
ifax, N.  S.,  214. 

Greeley,  Horace,  326. 

Green,  Rev.  Thomas,  M.  D.,  103, 
125,  138,  168,  169. 

Greene  Baptist  church,  97,  98, 
140,  152. 

Greenough,  Byron,  276,  333,  336, 
342,  359,  443. 

Greenwood,  John,  163. 

Grose,  Rev.  H.  B.,  426. 

Gumey,  Rev.  A.  K.,  401. 

H 

Hadley,  Rev.  Charles.  403. 
Hague,  Rev.  J.  B.,  197. 
Hale,  Ho'h.  Eugene,  422. 
Hale,  Rev.  Henry,  113,  119,  122, 

125,  126,  151. 
Hale,  Rev.  Henry  W.,  400. 
Hall,  Austin,  333. 


Hall,  Dr.  Edward  W.,   211,   214, 

373,  376. 
Hall,  Rev.  Ephraim,   70,    96,   98, 

138 
Hall,  Rev.  Gordon,  177,  178. 
Hall,  Rev.  Isaac,  70. 
Hall,  Rev.  S.,  237. 
Hall,  Sarah  B.,  186. 
Hamblen,  Rev.  I.  S.,  429. 
Hamblen,  Rev.  S.  W.,  403. 
Hamlin,  Prof.  C.  E.,  370,  376. 
Hamlin,  Dr.  Cyrus,  117,  118,  158, 

163. 
Hamlin,  Elijah,  422. 
Hamlin,  Hon.  H.,  422. 
Hammond,  Thomas,  332,  336. 
Hamilton,  Harry  E.,  425. 
Hamilton  Literary  and  Theologi- 
cal Institution,  209. 
Hampden  Baptist  church,  148. 
Hancock    Association    organized, 

195. 
Hancock     Benevolence     System, 

449-453. 
Hanson,  Rev.  Dr.  C.  V.,  346,  360. 
Hanson,  Dr.  James  H.,  421,  428, 

429,  430,  431. 
Harden,  Rev.  C.  E.,  337,  338,  349, 

350. 
Harlem  (China)  Baptist  church, 

142. 
Harley,  Mrs.  Hannah  C,  94. 
Harmony  Baptist  church,  141. 
Harper,  President,  378,  379,  380. 
Harpswell  Baptist  church,  87,  90, 

96,  140. 
Harpswell  Congregational  church, 

70. 
Harrod,  Joseph,  270. 
Hart,  Rev.  H.  A.,  357,  366. 
Hart,  Henry  B.,  276. 
Hart,  Hanson  M.,  237,  333. 
Hascall,  Rev.  W.  H.  S.,  400. 
Hastings,  Warren,  256,  257. 
Haswell,  Rev.  J.  M.,  393. 
Hatch,  Rev.  J.,  246. 
Hatch,   Evangelist   J.    W.,    349, 

350. 
Hathaway,  Gilbert,  226. 
Haverhill  (Mass.)  Baptist  church, 

29,  31,  35,  37. 
Hawes,   Rev.   Harvey,   197*  236, 

308. 
Hayden,  Dea.  Aaron,  179. 
Haynes,  Rev.  D.  C,  320. 
Havnes,  Rev.  John,  125,  150,  155, 

158,  168,  169,  181,  220,  221,  222, 

226. 


490 


INDEX. 


Hazlewood,  Rev.  Dr.  F.  T.,  334, 

442. 
Hebron    Academy,    162-166,    422- 

427. 
Hebron  Baptist  church,  91,  140. 
Herrick,  Rev.  A.  C,  422. 
Herring,  Rev.  C.  M.,  335,  461. 
Hinckley,  Rev.  G.  W.,  346. 
Higgins  Classical  Institute,  437- 

440. 
Higgins,  Hamilton,  439. 
Higgins,  Rev.  J.  H.,  437,  438. 
Hollis  Baptist  church,  233. 
Holman,  Rev.  J.  W.,  357. 
Holman,  Rev.  W.  O.,  357. 
Home  missions  and  the  Baptists 

of  Maine,  406,  420. 
Home,  the  Sarah  Curtis,  399. 
Hooke,  Francis,  16,  17,  18. 
Hooper,    Rev.    James,    101,    104, 

162,  163,  274. 
Hooper,  Rev.  Noah,  43. 
Hooper,  Rev.  William,  43,  47,  49, 

62,  68,  75,  76,  95,  101,  109. 
Hope  Baptist  church,  98,  142,  147. 
Hopkinson,  Rev.  H.  M.,  397. 
Houghton,  Rev.  Josiah,  227,  228. 
Houlton  Academy,  433,  434. 
Hovey,  Rev.  Dr.  Alvah,  356,  357, 

358. 
Hovey,  John,  169. 
Howe,  Mary  A. ,  414. 
Hubbard,  Gov.,  298. 
Humphrey,  Chapin,  333. 
Humphrey,  D.  S.,  439. 
Hunt,  Mrs.  Anna  Sargent,  419. 
Hunt,  Rev.  N.,  349. 
Hunting,  Rev.  Enoch,  157,  268. 
Hunting,  Dea.  John,  444. 
Hurlin,  Rev.  W.,  237. 


llsley,  Rev.  Dr.  G.  B.,  83,  463. 

Ilsley,  Rev.  S.,  236,  320. 

Intemperance  in  the  District  of 
Maine,  283,  284. 

Interdenominational  Commission 
of  Maine,  457-460. 

International  Sunday  School  Les- 
sons, 281. 

Island,  Richmond's,  5. 

Isles  of  Shoals,  6. 

Ilesborough  Baptist  church,  139, 
142. 


Jackson,  Rev.  Lemuel,  96. 
Jacobs,  B.  F.,  281. 


Jay  Baptist  church,  104,  140. 
Jefferson    Baptist    church,    113, 

129,  140,  147,  152,  158,  196. 
Jenner,  Thomas,  9. 
Jessey,  Rev.  Henry,  24. 
Jeter,  Rev.  J.  B.,  317. 
Jewett,    Rev.    Dr.   Lyman,    388, 

389. 
Johnson,  Principal  F.  W.,  431. 
Jones,  Rev.  R.,  322. 
Jordan,  Rev.  Robert,  6,  10,  11. 
Judson,   Rev.  Adoniram,  Senior, 

393. 
Judson,  Rev.  Dr.  Adoniram,  177, 

178,  179,  180,  183,  186,  390,  391, 

392,  393. 
Judson,    Sarah    Boardman,    186, 

390. 

K 
Kalloch,  Rev.  Amariah,  249,  320. 
Keely,    Prof.    George    W.,    213, 

383 
Keely,  Rev.  J.,  322. 
Kelley,  Rev.  M.  J.,  330,  331. 
Kelley,  S.,  333. 
Kendall,    Rev.    Henry,    79,    112, 

113. 
Kennebec  Association  organized, 

191. 
Kennebec  Association   and  anti- 
slavery,  316,  317. 
Kennebunkport    Baptist   church, 

79,  112,  133. 
Kennedy,  Dea.,  202. 
Kennedy,  Hon.  L.  L.,  202. 
Killam,  Rev.  P.  A.  A.,  351. 
King,  Rev.  Dr.  G.  M.  P.,  413-416, 

426. 
King,  Hon.  William,  174. 
Kingsbury,  Rev.  S.  A.,  322. 
Kingsley,  Hon.  Chester  W.,  381. 
Kinsman,  Rev.  Ebenezer  P.,  83, 

87,  90. 
Kittery,  Baptists  at,  12,  14-17. 
Kittery  Baptist  church  organized, 

20,  21. 
Knox,  Rev.  George,  237,  279,  321, 

325  326. 
Knowlton",  W.  S.,  433. 
Krumreig,  Rev,  E.  L.,  77,  461. 


Lamson,  Rev.  Dr.  William,  357. 
Lane,  Rev.  W.  H.,  384. 
Langridge,  Rev.  R.  J.,  357. 
Lawrence,  Rev.  Manasseh,  261. 
Lebanon,  Baptists  in,  42,  43. 
Leeds  Baptist  church,  137,  140. 


INDEX. 


491 


Leger,  Rev.  E.,  349, 

Leland,  Rev.  I.,  236,  331,  357. 

Lewis,  Rev.  Jabez,  91. 

Lewis,  Rev.  James,  270. 

Lewiston  Baptist  church,  97,  98, 
140. 

Lewiston  Bates  St.  church  cen- 
tennial, 463. 

Limerick  Baptist  church,  82,  83, 
463. 

Limington  Baptist  church,  133. 

Lincoln,  Abraham,  203,  204,  326. 

Lincoln  Association  organized, 
139-142. 

Lincoln  Baptist  Benevolent  So- 
ciety, 193-195. 

Lincoln,  Dea.  Heman,  187,  409. 

Lincoln,  Rev.  T.  0.,  197,  313. 

Linton,  Jennie  M.,  418. 

Liquor  drinking  in  the  District  of 
Maine,  283,  284. 

Liquor  laws  in  Maine  first  enact- 
ed, 293. 

Lisbon  Baptist  church,  98,  140, 
141,  273. 

Litchfield  Baptist  church,  91,  103, 
140. 

Livermore  Baptist  church,  96,  98, 
104,  140,  152. 

Livermore  church  centennial,  461, 
462. 

Lock,  Edward,  54. 

Locke,  Rev.  Simon,  62,  72. 

London  Baptist  Confession  of  1689, 
51. 

Long,  Hon.  John  D.,  422,  427. 

Longfellow,  Henry  W.,  291. 

Looney,  W.  H.,  Esq.,  384. 

Lord,  Rev.  Nathaniel,  62-65,  68, 
91,  98,  107. 

Lord,  Rev.  Tozer,  43,  53,  54,  77. 

Lord's  Supper,  77,  80,  84,  89,  104. 

Love,  Rev.  Horace  T.,  216. 

Loveioy,  Rev.  Elijah  P.,  262,  312. 

Lovel,  Rev.  Shubael,  84. 

Lovell,  Isaac,  bequest  to  Maine 
Baptist  Missionary  Society,  228. 

Low  Hampton  Baptist  church,  200. 

Low,  Rev.  Robert,  117,  118,  121, 
123,  130,  167,  169,  181,  227,  242. 

Lowell,  Capt.  William,  166. 

Lyman  Baptist  church,  62,  76. 

M 

Macomber,  Rev.  Job,  64,  65,  66, 
71,  72,  87,  91,  93.  99,  138. 

Macomber,  Rev.  Thomas,  127, 130, 
153,  225 


Madigan,  J.  C,  432. 

Maginnis,  Rev.  J.  S.,  276,  309,  317. 

Maine  Anti-Slavery  Society,  305, 

306,  309,  313. 
Maine  Baptist  Anti-Slavery  Con- 
vention, 312,  313,  316,  318,  321. 
Maine  Baptist  Auxiliary  Society 

to  Aid  Foreig^n  Missions,  182. 
Maine  Baptist  Charitable  Society, 

442,  443. 
Maine    Baptist   Convention,   220- 

224,  225-228,  230,  231,  237,  238, 

469. 
Maine  Baptist  Education  Society, 

155,  239-255,  355-367. 
Maine  Baptist  Herald,  257. 
Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Conven- 
tion, 328-354,  464. 
Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Regis- 
ter, 109,  123,  124,  128,  177. 
Maine  Baptist  Missionary  Societ3^ 

114,  115,  116,  119,  121,  123,  124, 

125,  155,  220,  224-238,  469. 
Maine    Baptist    Sabbath    School 

Union,  275,  276,  278,  279,  280. 
Maine  Branch  Northern  Baptist 

Education  Society,  245,  246,  247, 

251,  252. 
Maine  Literary  and    Theological 

Institution,  205,  239,  240. 
Maine  Sabbath  School  Union,  270, 

271,  274. 
Maine    Temperance    Union,    294, 

295,  296. 
Maling,  Henry  M. ,  350. 
Manning,  President  James,  29,  34, 

94,  95,  467. 
Manning,  Rev.  James,  97. 
Manning,  Rev.  Edward,  97. 
Manual  Labor  Department,  Wa- 

terville  College,  206,  208. 
Marshall,  Mrs.  Eliza,  336. 
Martin,  Rev.  Jesse,  269. 
Mason,  Rev.  E.  A.,  449,  450. 
Mason,  Capt.  John,  4. 
Massachusetts  Baptist  Education 

Society,  240,  245,  355. 
Massachusetts  Baptist  Missionary 

Magazine,  113,  119,  121,  125,  126, 

132,  155,  177,  178. 
Massachusetts  Baptist  Missionary 

Society,  110,  112,  114.  122,  125, 

223,  224. 
Massachusetts  General  Court  and 

religious  liberty,  468. 
Massachusetts  General  Court 

makes  grant  to  Maine  Literary 

and  Theological  Institution,  173. 


492 


INDEX. 


Massachusetts  law  exempting 

Baptists,  31. 
Matinicus  Baptist  church,  147. 
Mathews,  Miss  Grace,  426. 
Mathews,  Dr.  William,  428,  431. 
McAllister,  Ella  F.,  402. 
McMasters,  Rev.  Daniel,  169. 
McWhinnie,  Mrs.  James,  420. 
McWhinnie,  Rev,  Dr.  James,  443, 

447. 
Medical   Department  of    Water- 

ville  College,  206,  208. 
Merriam,  Rev.  Franklin,  252,  321. 
Merrill,  Hon.  J.  Warren,  371. 
Merrill,  Rev.  Daniel,  111,  113, 119, 

126,  132,  142,  143,  144,  145,  146, 

151,  156,  167,  168,  207,  240,  246, 

406. 
Merrill,  Rev.  Moses,  407,  408,  409. 
Merrill,  Rev.  N.,  99. 
Merrill,  Rev.  Dr.  S.  P.,  240,  409, 

418. 
Merrill,  Rev.  Thomas  W.,  406. 
Meserve,  Dr.  Charles  F.,  422,  425. 
Metcalf,  B.  D.,  333. 
Metcalf,  Whitman,  224. 
Middleborough    (Mass.)     Baptist 

church,  64. 
Miles,  Rev.  John,  17. 
Miller,  Rev.  Charles,  197. 
Miller,  Rev.  William,  197,  198, 199, 

200,  201. 
Millerism  in  Maine,  197-199. 
Millet,  Rev.  Joshua,  46,  72,  126, 

138,  252,  257. 
Milner,  Rev.  Reuben,  261. 
Minister's  Institute,  356,  357. 
Miscongus  Baptist  church,  93,  95, 

142,  201. 
Montville  Baptist  church,  147. 
Moody,  John  F.,  422,  425. 
Moody,  Joseph,  32. 
Moody,  Joshua,  17. 
Morrell,  Rev.  William,  4. 
Morrill,  Hon.  Lot  M.,  294. 
Morrill,  Levi,  444. 
Morrill,  Thomas,  226. 
Morrow,  Rev.  H.,  186. 
Morse,  C.  Fred,  347,  350. 
Morton,  Capt.  Bryant,  30. 
Mower,  Rev.  I.  B.,  112,  349,  353, 

354. 
Mt.  Vernon  Baptist  church,  104, 

140. 
Munroe,  Rev.  William  C,  387. 
Murphy,    Rev.    James,    97,    112, 
126. 


N 
National     Theological    Institute, 

413. 
Neal,  John,  169. 
Nelson,  David,  169,  221,  270. 
New  Charleston  Baptist  church, 

148,  160. 
New    Durham    (N.    H.)    Baptist 

church,  50,  54,  55. 
Newell,  Rev.  Samuel,  177,  178. 
New    England    Sabbath    School 

Union,  276,  280,  281. 
Newfield  Baptist  church,  133. 
New  Gloucester  Baptist  church, 

65,  98,  100,  101,  140. 
New  Hampshire  Articles  of  Faith, 

61. 
New  Hampshire  Association,  75, 

76,  78,  79,  80,  82,  84,  154. 
New  Hampton  Literary  and  The- 
ological Institute,  250,  251. 
Newman,  Prof.  A.  H.,  24. 
Newmarch,  Rev.  John,  23. 
New  Meadows,  69,  70. 
Newton,    Rev.    Calvin,   206,   248, 

249,  304,  305-307,  313,  436. 
New  Sharon  Baptist  church,  139, 

140. 
Newton   Theological   Institution, 

247,  249,  250. 
New    Vineyard    Baptist    church, 

103,  140. 
Nobleborough  Baptist  church,  95, 

96,  142,  152,  158,  461. 
Norcross,  H.  H.,  437,  438. 
Norcross,  N.  G.,  435. 
Norris,  Rev.  James  F.,  397. 
Northern  Baptist  Education  Soci- 
ety, 245,  246,  247,  253,  254,  255. 
Northport  Baptist  church,  147. 
North  wood  (N.  H. )  Baptist  church, 

75,  77,  78,  80. 
Norton,   Rev.   Ransom,  130,  150, 

158,  168,  169,  226,  401. 
Norwav  Baptist  church,  140. 
Nott,   Rev.  Handel  G.,  197,  233, 

252  390. 
Nott,'  Rev.  Samuel,  177,  178,  390. 
Nugent,  Rev.  E.,  234,  318. 
Nutter,  Rev.  David,  261,  262,  313, 

320. 

O 

O'Brien,  John,  242. 

Ogier,  J.  H.,384. 

Orland  Baptist  church,  148. 


INDEX. 


493 


Owen,  Rev.  C.  E.,  366,  382,  384. 
Oxford     Association     organized, 
190. 


Paine,  Henry,  427. 

Paine,  Hon.  Henry  W.,  427. 

Palermo  Baptist  church,  148. 

Pardee,  R.  G.,  357. 

Paris  Baptist  church,  91,  92,  93, 

140,  461. 
Parker,  Rev.  Carlton,  236,  333. 
Parker's  Island,  65. 
Parkman  Baptist  church,  160. 
Parris,  Gov.  Albion  K.,  162,  270. 
Parris,  Samuel,  162. 
Parsonsfield  Baptist  church,  82. 
Patent  of  1606,  1. 
Pattison,    Rev.    Dr.    R.    E.,   212, 

213,  214,  215,  322. 
Peak,  Rev.  John,  79,  84,  135. 
Peck,  Rev.  Solomon,  385. 
Pejepscot  Baptist  church,  141. 
Penobscot  Association   and  anti- 
slavery,  307. 
Penobscot  Association  organized, 

160. 
Pepper,  Rev.  Dr.  G.  D.  B.,  357, 

362,  363,  374,  375,  376,  384,  434, 

457. 
Perkins,  Dea.  Horace,  450. 
Perkins,  Thomas,  119. 
Perry,  Oakes,  285. 
Persecution  at  Berwick,  36,  37. 
Persecution  at  Kittery,  12-23. 
Phenix,  Dea.  J.  C,  443. 
Phi  Beta  Kappa  at  Colby,  380. 
Philadelphia    Baptist    Confession 

of  1742,  51,  60. 
Philbrook,  Dea.  John  N.,  417. 
Phillips,  Hon.  John,  168. 
Pierce,  Miss  Nancy,  274. 
Pilsbury,  Rev.  Phinehas,  113,  119, 

120,  122,  124,  125,  169,  221,  245, 

247,  406. 
Piscataquis     Association    organ- 
ized, 196. 
Piscataquis  Baptist  church,  141. 
Pitman,  Rev.  John,  144,  145,  146. 
Popham  colonists,  2. 
Popham,  George,  3. 
Porter,  Rev.  C.  G.,  236,  237,  254, 

322,  432,  442. 
Portland    First    Baptist    church, 

131,  138,  139,  140,  152,  215,  464. 
Portland  Free  St.  Baptist  church, 

196,  264. 


Portland  Young  Men's  Temper- 
ance Society,  291. 

Postal  matters  in  the  earlier  time, 
69. 

Potter,  Rev.  Dr.  A.  K.,  445. 

Potter,  Rev.  James,  63,  64,  66, 
70,  86,  87,  90,  91.  92,  93,  94,  96, 
98,  99,  100,  103,  104,  105,  106, 
107,  136,  137,  138. 

Potterstown,  65. 

Prescott,  Chas.  J.,  422. 

Prescott,  Dea.  William  R.,  253, 
313,  316,  322. 

Prince,  Rev.  Hezekiah,  169,  221, 
268. 

Proctor,  Rev.  Hadley,  185,  244. 

Prohibition  first  advocated,  294. 

Prohibitory  law  enacted,  297, 
301. 

Pugsley,  Abraham,  77. 

Pullen,  G.,  316. 

Purington,  George  C,  425. 

Puritan  settlements  of  Massa- 
chusetts Bay,  6,  8. 

R 

Raleigh,  Sir  Walter,  27. 
Rand,  Rev.  Samuel,  270. 
Randall,   Rev.   Benjamin,  40,  47- 

56,  58-62,  131. 
Readfield  Baptist  church,  93,  94, 

98,  140. 
Records  of  the  Province  of  Maine, 

14,  15. 
Register,    The    Baptist    Annual, 

176. 
Rehoboth,  Mass.,  66.  67. 
Religious  liberty  and  the  consti- 
tution of    the    United    States, 

468. 
Revival  influences,  1791-1801,  106. 
Revolutionary  soldiers    settle    in 

Maine,  71. 
Revolutionary  War,   Baptist 

churches  organized  during  the, 

46. 
Rice,  Dr.  Jesse,  163. 
Rice,  Rev.  Luther,  177,  178,  180. 
Rice,    Rev.   W.  H.,  349,  350,  450, 

451. 
Richardson,  Albert  M.,  416. 
Richardson,    Gen.     Alford,     169, 

174,  271,  276,  406. 
Richardson,  C.  C,  438.  439. 
Richardson,  H.  W.,  373. 
Richardson.  Rev.  S.  D..  425. 
Richardson,  Rev.  Z.,  78,79. 


494 


INDEX. 


Richmond  Theological  Institute, 
416. 

Richmond's  Island,  5. 

Ricker  Classical  Institute,  431, 
433. 

Ricker,  Mrs.  J.,  419. 

Ricker,  Rev.  David,  126,  153. 

Ricker,  Rev.  Dr.  Joseph,  212, 213, 
232,  238,  260,  264,  276,  277,  278, 
283,  313,  314,  320,  331-337,  340- 
343,  357,  369,  374,  375,  417,  423, 
425,  432,  433,  441,  442,  448,  463, 

Rideout,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William, 
437,  438. 

Ripley,  Rev.  Thomas  B.,  103,  152, 
155,  158,  159,  176,  187,  221,  241, 
242,  243,  270,  271. 

Rippon,  Rev.  John,  176. 

Rishworth,  Edward,  18. 

Roberts,  Hiram  R.,  426. 

Roberts,  J.  H.,  362. 

Roberts,  Mrs.  Ruth  H.,  426. 

Roberts,  Rev.  W.  S.,  449. 

Robbins,  Oliver,  73,  74. 

Robins,  President  Henry  E.,  372, 
373,  374,  375. 

Robinson,  Rev,  N.,  247. 

Robinson,  Rev.  Otis,  84,  85. 

Robinson,  Rev.  T.  B.,  250,  305, 
313,  316,  333,  436,  444. 

Rochester  Theological  Seminary, 
209. 

Rogers,  Nathaniel,  427. 

Roots,  Rev.  P.  P.,  112. 

Rosier' s  True  Relation  of  Way- 
mouth's  Voyage,  1. 

Rounds,  Rev.  John,  98. 

Rowell,  E.,  443,  448. 

Rum  drinking  in  Maine  in  early 
times,  283. 

Russell,  Ella  B.,  426. 

S 

Saco  River  Association  organized, 
197. 

Saco  River  Association  takes 
name  of  the  Cumberland  Asso- 
ciation, 456. 

Safford,  Moses  A.,  14. 

Salem  Bible  Translation  and  For- 
eign Missionary  Society,  178. 

Salisbury  (N.  H. )  Baptist  church, 

75,  80. 

Sanford  Baptist  church,  39-43,  75, 

76,  79,  83,  85. 
Sargent,  Mrs.  S.  G.,  418. 
Sargent,  Rev.  S.  G.,  197,  235,  236, 

237,  329,  330,  335. 


Sargent,    Principal    W.    E.,   423, 

425,  426,  427. 
Sargent,  Mrs.  W.  G.,  418. 
Sargent,  Rev.  W.  T.,  237. 
Sawtelle,  Rev.  Dr.  H.  A.,  394. 
Sawyer,  Rev.  Isaac,  215. 
Scott,  Rev.  J.  R.,  393,  394. 
Screven,  Gen.  James,  27. 
Screven,  Rev.  Charles  O. ,  27. 
Screven,  Rev.  William,  13,  14,  15, 

16,  17,  18,  19,  20,  22,  23,  24,  25, 

26,  28. 
Scribner,  David,  313,  333. 
Scudder,  T.  D.,  Esq.,  273. 
Seal  of  Maine  Baptist  Missionary 

Convention,  346,  347. 
Seaver,  Horace,  226. 
Sebascodegan  Island,  69,  70,  72. 
Sedgwick  Baptist  church,  142, 152. 
Sedgwick  Education  Society,  240. 
Serampore  English   Baptist  mis- 
sionaries, 178,  179. 
Seymour,  Rev.  Richard,  2. 
Shailer,   Rev.  Dr.  W.  H.,  28,  42, 

146,  147,  235,  236,  238,  265,  266, 

329,  333,  356,  394,  395,  400,  441, 

443,  444,  445,  469. 
Shannon,    Col.   Richard   C,   375, 

376. 
Shannon  Observatory,  Colby  Col- 
lege, 375. 
Shapleigh  Baptist  church,  76,  77, 

133,  461. 
Sharp,  Rev.  Daniel,  179,  182,  241. 
Shaw,  Rev.  Dr.  B.  F.,  197,  252, 

320,  366. 
Shaw  University,  418. 
Sheldon,  Rev.  Dr.  David  N.,  214, 

215,  252. 
Shepard,  Rev.  George,  273. 
Shepard,  Rev.  Samuel,  41,  49,  68, 

75,  76,  84,  98. 
Sherburne,  Rev.  A.,  79,  112. 
Shirley,  Arthur,  124. 
Sidney  Baptist  church,  140. 
Silsbee,  Samuel,  436. 
Simpson,  Dr.  J.  B.,  416, 
Skinner,  Thomas,  20,  21,  22, 
Small,  Dr.  A.  W.,  362,  375,  376, 

377,  378,  425,  457. 
Small,  Rev.  Dr.  A.  K.  P.,  69,  203, 

236,  314,  391,  392,  422,  424,  447. 
Small,  Rev.  D,,  322. 
Small,  L.  W.,  79, 
Small,  Rev,  E,  S.,  72,  73,  87,  96, 

118,  241,  252,  360,  366,  448,  449. 
Smith,  Rev.  Dr.  D.  A.  W,,  396. 
Smith,  Rev.  Elias,  80,  84. 


INDEX. 


495 


Smith,  Rev.  Eliphalet,  81,  94,  95, 

96,  103. 
Smith,  Rev.  Henry,  79,  84,  109. 
Smith,  Rev.  Dr.  Henry  B.,  422. 
Smith,  Rev.  Hezekiah,  29,  30,  31, 

34,  35,  37,  38,  40,  44,  45,  49,  68, 

76,  78,  79,  81,  82,  95,  98,  102,  135, 

138,  469. 
Smith,  Capt.  John,  4. 
Smith,  Gen.  John  K.,  268,  270. 
Smith,  Joshua,  101. 
Smith,  Seba,  422. 
Smith,  Rev.  Dr.  S.  F.,  247,  388, 

395  425. 
Smith,  Rev.  Dr.  S.  K.,  264,  265. 
Smith,  St.  John,  422. 
Snell,  Dea.  Cyrus,  79. 
Snow,  Rev.  EHsha,  73,  74,  91,  93, 

95,  96,  107,  138,  146. 
Soule,  Zachariah,  164. 
South  Berwick  church,  464. 
Souther,  Rev.  S.,  jr.,  279. 
Southern  Baptist  Convention,  319. 
Spalding,  Rev.  Dr.  C.  H.,  282. 
Spaulding,  Rev.  R.  C.  and  Mrs., 

338,  445. 
Spencer,  Rev.  Dr.  W.  H.,  180,  346. 
Squire,  PhiHp,  20,  21,  22. 
St.   George  Baptist  church,   142, 

152. 
Staughton,  Rev.  WiUiam,  258. 
Steams,  Rev.  Dr.  0.  S.,  150,  213, 

399. 
Steams,  Rev.  Silas,  150. 
Stennett,  Rev.  Dr.  S.,  94. 
Stetson  Baptist  church,  147. 
Stetson,  Hon.  W.  W.,  426. 
Stetson,  Mvra  H.,  401. 
Stetson,  Rev.  H.,  401. 
Steuben  Baptist  church,  148. 
Stevens,  George,  157. 
Stevens,  John  Calvin,  347. 
Stevens,  Rev.  Dr.  E.  A.,  396. 
Stevens,  Rev.  L.  C,  261,  262,  263, 

313,  316. 
Stinchfield,  Roger,  137. 
Stinchfield,  Thomas,  137. 
Stinson,  Rev.  Samuel,  168,  169. 
Stockbridge,  Calvin,  158,  221,  222, 

242. 
Stockbridge,  Dea.  John,  150,  155. 
Stockbridge,  Rev.  Dr.  J.  C,  185, 

205,  392,  393. 
Sturtevant,  B.  F.,  423,  424. 
Sturtevant,  Mrs.  B.  F.,  426. 
Sullivan  Baptist  church,  148. 
Sumner  Baptist  church,  139,  140. 
Sumner,  Hon.  Charles,  323. 


Sunday-schools,  268-282,  472. 
Surry  Baptist  church,  147. 
Swaim,  Rev.  Dr.  Samuel  B.,  217. 
Swanton,  John  B.,  221. 
Swanville  Baptist  church,  139, 142. 

T 

Tappan,  Rev.  B.,  273. 

Taylor,  Evangelist  Harry,  351. 

Taylor,  Rev.  Joshua,  270. 

Telugu  mission,  388,  389. 

Temperance  reform  in  Maine  Bap- 
tist churches,  283-302. 

Thatcher,  Rev.  Josiah,  31. 

Thayer,  Mrs.  C.  B.  Davis,  417. 

Thayer,  Rev.  H.  O.,  3. 

Thomas,  A.  M.,  433,  434,  440. 

Thomaston  Baptist  church,  87, 
138,  142,  152. 

Thomaston,  Rev.  Isaac  Case  vis- 
its, 72. 

Thomaston  Theological  Institu- 
tion, 249,  422,  436. 

Thomaston  Third  church,  196. 

Thompson,  Arad,  332,  438. 

Thompson,  George,  305. 

Thresher,  Rev.  Ebenezer,  245. 

Thurston,  Elisha  M.,  436. 

Thurston,  Rev.  David,  273,  305. 

Tibbetts,  H.  L.,  439. 

Tilley,  Rev.  C.  C,  336. 

Tilley,  Rev.  William,  215,  253. 

Tilton,  Rev.  A.  V.,  443. 

Tingley,  Rev.  Pelatiah,  40,  42,  147. 

Titcomb,  Rev.  Benjamin,  138,  139, 
167,  169,  176,  221,  225. 

Titcomb,  Rev.  Benjamin,  jr.,  257. 

Topsham  Baptist  cnurch,  196. 

Torrey,  Rev.  Charles  T.,  319,  320. 

Train,  Hon.  Charles  R.,  427,  428. 

Train,  Rev.  Arthur,  428. 

Trask,  Rev.  Enos,  197. 

Trelawny,  Edward,  5. 

Trelawny,  Robert,  6. 

Trenton  Baptist  church,  148. 

Tripp,  Ephraim.  206. 

Tripp,  Rev.  John,  103,  109,  110, 
111,  114,  117,  118,  120,  121,  124, 
129,  130,  150,  153,  162,  163,  164, 
167,  168,  180,  206,  220,  221,  225, 
284,  285,  406,  425. 

Tupper,  Rev.  Dr.  H.  A.,  25. 

Turner,  Rev.  B.  F.,  403. 

U 

Union  Theological  Seminary,  Chi- 
cago, 215. 
Unity  Baptist  church,  147. 


496 


INDEX. 


Universal  Bai)tists,  134. 
Universalism  in  Maine,  134. 
Upham,  Rev.  Dr.  James,  209,  248, 
249. 


Vassalborough  Baptist  church,  90, 

91,  97,  102,  142,  147. 
Ventres,  Rev.  W.  H.  S.,  238. 
Vinalhaven  Baptist  church,   139, 

142. 
Vines,  Richard,  4,  5,  9. 
Vinton,  Rev.  J.  H.,  393. 
Voyages,  early,  1. 

W 

Wait,  Rev.  Samuel,  206. 

Waite,  Stephen,  270. 

Waldo  Association  organized,  190, 

191. 
Waldo  Association  dissolved,  456. 
Waldoborough,   Rev.   Isaac  Case 

preaches  at,  72. 
Wales  Baptist  church,  104,  140. 
Walker,  Rev.  Dr.  G.  L.,  59,  106. 
Walter,  Thomas  U.,  211. 
Walton,  JohnT.,  296. 
War  of  1812-15  unpopular  in  Maine, 

151. 
Warren  Baptist  Association,  75, 

76,  466,  467. 
Warren  Baptist  church,  138,  142, 

152. 
Warren,  Rev.  E.  R.,  197,  262,  312, 

313,  315,  316. 
Warren,  Rev.  Dr.  J.  G.,  216,  389. 
Washington    Association    organ- 
ized, 195. 
Washingtonian  movement,  295. 
Waterborough  Baptist  church,  79, 

83,133. 
Waterville  Baptist  church,  185. 
Waterville  Classical  Institute,  421. 
Waterville  College,  205-219,   368- 

384; 

Waterville  College  chartered,  174, 

becomes  Colby  University,  369, 

and  Colby  College,  381. 
Waterville  College  and  the  Civil 

War,  216. 
Waterville  Intelligencer,  157,  256, 

257   259. 
Wayland,"Rev.  Francis,  309,  310. 
Wayland  Seminary,  413,  414,  416. 
Waymouth's  voyage  to  the  coast 

of  Maine,  1. 


Wayne  Baptist   church,   98,   140, 

462. 
Webb,  Lizzie  R.,  416. 
Wedgewood,  Rev.  J.  M.,  322. 
Welch,  Rev.  B.  T.,  317. 
Welch,  Milton,  432. 
Wellman,  J.  0.,  434. 
Wells  Baptist  church,  46,  62,  133. 
Westminster  Confession  of  Faith, 

51. 
Wheeler,  Charles  H.,  427. 
Wheeler,  Rev.  N.  J.,  329. 
Wheelock,  Rev.  Edward  W.,  171. 
Wheelwright,  Rev.  John,  9,  10. 
White,  President  Charles  L.,  382, 

384. 
White,  Dea.  J.  C,  236,  237,  238, 

329,  333.  444. 

Whitefield,  Rev.  George,  47,  48, 
49,  52,  58,  59. 

Whitman,  Ezekiel,  162. 

Whitman,  President  B.  L.,  378, 
379,  431,  462. 

Whitney,  William  C,  165. 

Whittemore,  Rev.  Dr.  E.  C,  197, 
202,  347,  351,  353,  431,  461,  464. 

Whittier,  Abbie  Mary,  417. 

Wiley,  Rev.  A.,  270. 

Wilbur,  Rev.  Asa,  96,  270. 

Williams,  Rev.  Elisha,  96,  105, 
137,  143,  144,  145,  146. 

Williams,  Capt.  Hart,  38. 

Williams,  Rev.  N.  M.,  313,  316. 

Williams,  Rev.  N.  W.,  252,  315, 
320. 

Williams,  Roger,  34. 

WiUiamson,  William  D.,  9,  10. 

Wilson,  Rev.  Dr.  Adam,  159,  160, 
163,  164,  197,  215,  221,  223,  225, 
226,  233,  236,  238,  250,  258,  259, 
260,  261,  263,  264,  276,  311,  322, 
357,  422,  442. 

Winchester,  Rev.  Elhanan,  134. 

Winslow,  Gov.,  9. 

Winter,  John,  6. 

Wilson,  Rev.  J.,  233. 

Wilson,  William,  227. 

Wing,  Hon.  Geo.  C,  384. 

Winthrop  Baptist  church,  192. 

Winthrop,  Gov.,  7,  9,  10. 

Woman's  American  Baptist  Home 
Mission  Society,  419,  420. 

Women's  Baptist  Foreign  Mission- 
ary Society,  399,  401,  402,  405. 

Woodbridge,  Rev.  Benjamin,  17. 

Wood,  Rev.  Dr.  N.  M.,  215,  329, 

330,  356,  357. 

Wood,  Rev.  Dr.  Nathan  E.,  22. 


INDEX. 


497 


Wood,  Robert  W.,  427. 

Woodman,  John,  99. 

Woodward,  Rev.  Samuel,  96,  104, 

117. 
Woolwich    Baptist    church,     138, 

142,  152. 
Woolwich,  Rev.  Isaac  Case  at,  72. 
Wording,  Hon.  W.  E.,  371. 
Wording,  Mrs.  Catherine  L.,  425, 

433,  434. 
Worth,  Rev.  E.,  34,  36,  136. 
Wyman,  Rev.  D.  T.,  456,  462. 
Wyman,  Rev.  Thomas,  130. 
Wyman,  Rev.  William,  261. 


Yarmouth    Baptist    church,    102, 

103,  140,  205,  463. 
York    Association     received     its 

name,  154. 
York    Association    divided,    196, 

197. 
Young,  Rev.  C.  E.,  349,  350. 
Young,  Rev.  Joshua,  101. 

Z 

Zion's    Advocate,   209,    215,   232, 

249,  256,  312. 
Zion's     Advocate     and     Eastern 

Watchman,  264. 


Date  Due 


\'  •• 


BX6248. 

History  of  the  Baptists  in  Maine 

Princeton  Theological  Semmary-Speer  Library 


1    1012  00035  4979 


